Looking to update your closet for the low, low price of $0?
You should make your way over to the library this weekend.
JoAnne Fleming and Leanne Morrison are co-organizing the Community Clothing Swap, which is taking place at the Collingwood Public Library on May 4. If you’re cleaning out your closets, clothes can be dropped off at the library between May 1 and May 3 during regular library hours. Clothes of all kinds will be accepted for women, men, children and infants.
“I just read this article over the weekend that said almost half of Canadians are $200 away from insolvency,” said Morrison, in an interview this week with CollingwoodToday. “Just looking at how much debt people have, I think our economy is shifting and people are trying to spend less money.”
“Having event like this is not only fun, but in alignment with both our values,” she added.
Morrison and Fleming have worked with the Collingwood Public Library on the event, wanting to expand after doing a few private swaps on their own.
“A friend of mine had done clothing swaps for friends, and I love going to them,” said Morrison. “JoAnne and I organized one at her house and I’d had one at my house. We had been doing them, but on a smaller scale.”
“We thought, for the amount of work involved to organize one on a small scale, why not do one on a much larger scale, if we could find a spot to have it?” said Morrison, with a laugh.
The duo held their first public swap in September in one of the small conference rooms at the library, and found themselves bursting at the seams.
“We had to have people line up outside because we were over capacity,” said Fleming. “We think there were close to 300 people that day.”
This time around the event is expanding, running in Community Rooms B and C on the third floor.
“It will be bigger,” said Fleming. “You can’t beat free.”
At the swap, patrons will be free to take any clothing that catches their eye, and can choose to make a donation to a local charity if they see fit.
“Anything they see and like, they can take,” said Morrison. “If they want to leave a cash donation, we’re going to be raising money for Breaking Down Barriers.”
Morrison is hopeful more events like the swap will crop up around the area, encouraging people to engage in a sharing economy.
“As a small business owner, I know what it’s like to want to enjoy your life without a whole lot of money. So, the concept of the sharing economy is that people have less stuff, but they share it more, so others can enjoy it too,” said Morrison. “There’s so many items we have that we only use once or twice, but spent a lot of money on and we’re storing for decades.”
The Community Clothing Swap takes place at the Collingwood Public Library on May 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
