Cook County Community Swap redistributes over 1000 pounds of clothing to local residents
Nov 07, 2022 12:00PM ● By Content Editor
All photos Laura Durenberger-Grunow
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - November 7, 2022
On Saturday, November 5, Cook County community members gathered for a free Community Clothing Swap at the Cook County Community Center.
Presented as part of the Sustainable Living Series in partnership with Cook County Local Energy Project, North House Folk School, UMN Extension & Zero Waste Cook County, the goals of the swap were to gather community, keep clothing out of the landfill, and provide an opportunity for people to pass along clothing they no longer wanted or needed - keeping it all as accessible as possible.
The event was free - and attendees didn't have to donate clothing in order to take home clothing.
Overall, over 1600 pounds of clothing was donated.
Of that, over 1000 pounds were claimed during the swap, which leaves approximately 600 lbs of clothing remaining.
The remaining clothing will be distributed to various organizations throughout northeastern Minnesota.
Some of the clothing that was donated was kids clothing, which was not accepted for this particular swap. However, with the kids clothing swap this upcoming weekend, the clothing was set aside for that event.
While most of the donations that came in followed requested guidelines (clean, no tears or holes), there were a few pieces that weren't able to be put out for swap. These clothing pieces made up 4lbs of waste.
An upcycle box was created for those who utilize old clothes for crafts and other projects.
Additionally, there were mending stations, with volunteers from the local Fiber Guild and Norther House Folk School. Attendees were able to bring in items of clothing for repair for free.
Don't miss the free community Kids Clothing Swap on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 10am - 1pm. You can find out more information in the image below.
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - November 7, 2022
On Saturday, November 5, Cook County community members gathered for a free Community Clothing Swap at the Cook County Community Center.
Presented as part of the Sustainable Living Series in partnership with Cook County Local Energy Project, North House Folk School, UMN Extension & Zero Waste Cook County, the goals of the swap were to gather community, keep clothing out of the landfill, and provide an opportunity for people to pass along clothing they no longer wanted or needed - keeping it all as accessible as possible.
Volunteers and shoppers at the Cook County Community Clothing Swap
The event was free - and attendees didn't have to donate clothing in order to take home clothing.
Overall, over 1600 pounds of clothing was donated.
Of that, over 1000 pounds were claimed during the swap, which leaves approximately 600 lbs of clothing remaining.
The remaining clothing will be distributed to various organizations throughout northeastern Minnesota.
Over 1600 pounds of clothing was donated for Saturday's swap
Some of the clothing that was donated was kids clothing, which was not accepted for this particular swap. However, with the kids clothing swap this upcoming weekend, the clothing was set aside for that event.
While most of the donations that came in followed requested guidelines (clean, no tears or holes), there were a few pieces that weren't able to be put out for swap. These clothing pieces made up 4lbs of waste.
An upcycle box was created for those who utilize old clothes for crafts and other projects.
An upcycled clothing box was created for those looking for textiles for crafts or other projects
Volunteer menders work to repair clothing for swap attendees
Additionally, there were mending stations, with volunteers from the local Fiber Guild and Norther House Folk School. Attendees were able to bring in items of clothing for repair for free.
Bags were donated for shoppers to take their new finds home
Shoes, boots, even dance shoes were available for those lucky enough to snag them
Volunteers check clothing donations for stained or torn clothes, as well as by size
Volunteers weigh clothing donations as they came in
Don't miss the free community Kids Clothing Swap on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 10am - 1pm. You can find out more information in the image below.
