4th Annual swap social Recap
Our vision for our community clothing swaps came to fruition a few years back while on a walk in the Holly forest of Sandy Hook, NJ, on one warm winter day. Feeling inspired by nature, we began chatting about the importance of community and our deep craving to be surrounded by like-minded people—those who are driven to do good for the planet and uplift one another along the way. With the planet in mind & the inspiration of Nadine’s consciously curated closet, we decided to host a clothing swap- an opportunity to connect with community, give second life to pre-loved clothes, & ultimately ditch fast fashion.
Swaps are a fun, community driven approach to reduce textile waste and promote sustainable fashion. Clothing swaps & shopping secondhand make sustainability feel accessible, relevant, & action-driven.
Clothing swaps can save the world.
- Elizabeth L. Cline
Recap
This month, we celebrated Earth Month with our 4th Annual Clothing Swap- a day celebrating community, circular fashion, & local art.
People traveled from far and near to take part in helping our planet. Throughout the gallery, pre-loved clothing circulated the racks; People eager to score some “new” -to -them items. Swapping items sparked conversation amongst friends and strangers throughout the day. - reminding us that this is what it’s all about! 🌍✨
People seemed thrilled with their new items-eager to show off their finds! At checkout, clothes were weighed to track how much was being swapped, which added to the excitement—many loved seeing how many pounds of clothing they helped keep out of landfills. Some participants even walked away with over 20 pounds of “new-to-them” items.
With music by Cranston Dean setting the tone and Un-Waste sharing their services for hard-to-recycle items- the day was filled with inspiration, connection, and purpose.
Our Impact
This year, we kept track of the amount of clothes circulating through the swap- highlighting just how much clothes were swapped & how much was donated.
Swaps are a fun, community driven approach to reduce textile waste and promote sustainable fashion. Clothing swaps & shopping secondhand make sustainability feel accessible, relevant, & action-driven.
As a collective, we made a big impact!
This year, we donated all 394 pounds of remaining clothing to four amazing groups who are making waves in their communities!
Project Paul (Poor, Alienated, Unemployed, Lonely)- Keansburg, NJ
The early work of Project PAUL centered on the establishment of a food pantry, serving approximately 25 local families, and a thrift shop. The project expanded through the early 1980s, adding services and programs to meet the increased needs of the community.
Project PAUL helps hundreds of families by providing rental assistance to qualified families.
St Agnes Thrift Store- Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Clothes will be offered to families in need who attend St. Agnes church first. All proceeds go directly back to the church.
Annes Thrift Shop- Atlantic Highlands, NJ
“The proceeds are used to help further the mission of the New Jersey Blind Citizens Association- ; to enhance the quality of life for the blind and visually impaired through education, socialization, and fostering an environment of hope and purpose. A local non-profit that provides service to the blind, visually impaired and those with deteriorating vision.”
MAST Thrift Store- Sandy Hook, NJ
Run and operated by MAST students and their teacher, Mae Skrba, the sustainability class meets weekly at a makeshift store where students can shop and hang out during lunch. All proceeds go to Save Coastal Wildlife, a local non-profit dedicated to restoration, research and educating people about the protection of coastal wildlife along the Jersey Shore! The students also use hard-to-donate items to upcycle into dog toys, which they have donated to local rescues in the past. We were so inspired by the work these students have done.
Lastly, we want to give a HUGE thanks, to the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council for kindly sharing their warm space with us. Their mission is to strengthen community through the arts.
