CHS clothing swap raises $1,000 for Campus Food Bank

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The inaugural College of Health Sciences clothing swap saw 400 pieces of clothing repurposed and distributed to 144 students thanks to generous donations and support from the CHS community. The event was a collaborative effort between the faculties of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, nursing, and rehabilitation medicine, as well as the College of Health Sciences and Sperber Library. 

During the swap, which ran March 4 to 7, students purchased donated professional attire items for $2 each, with the $1,000 raised going to the Campus Food Bank. The 235 pounds of clothing that weren’t sold were donated to Goodwill.

The event was born out of input from pharmacy students. “Students informed us that the additional cost to purchase professional attire for clinical placements was another stressor,” says Trent Nabe, manager of academic programs and student services in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and one of the co-organizers of the clothing swap. “Finding affordable business attire and clothing can be difficult for students as they head out to their placements. This event made it possible for students to pick up the pieces they needed most without burdening students with another financial commitment.”

“We were overwhelmed by the generosity of the donations from everyone,” says Nabe. The event shows how our community will come together to support students, he adds 

“Without the combined efforts of multiple faculties, the college, and the Sperber Library, this clothing swap wouldn't have been possible,” says Nabe. “We heard from dozens and dozens of students about the need for this type of event and they insisted that we do it again next year. We plan to do so and hope that we can include more faculties and get more donations to benefit more students next year.”