Scranton Swap volunteers host a clothing swap at The Gathering Place in Clarks Summit.
Submitted Photo
Hannah Radkiewicz and her 15 volunteers checked in used items that people brought in, gave people a ticket for each item, and then let everyone browse through the clothing racks and take home one item per ticket.
Submitted Photo
CLARKS SUMMIT — A Clothing Swap on Sunday, March 23, at The Gathering Place in Clarks Summit brought in well over 600 people to update their wardrobes in a “Clothes are Currency” exchange.
Scranton Swap was created by Hannah Radkiewicz, a Clarks Summit native, and has become a very popular event that benefits many people. Radkiewicz and her 15 volunteers checked in used items that people brought in, gave people a ticket for each item, then let everyone browse through the racks of clothing brought in by others and take home one item per ticket.
No money was needed at the swap. Radkiewicz runs these events at least quarterly to benefit the community and keep clothes in circulation. At the end of the event, any clothing left goes to Clarks Summit State Hospital and Friends of the Poor.
Even though the set-up and publicity and clean-up involve lots of work, the volunteers feel strongly that it is well worth their time and effort. They receive no pay and Radkiewicz pays for any expenses involved with promoting the swap. She also treats her volunteers to a “goodie” bag with T-shirts, sunglasses, gift cards to thank them for giving to their community.
In her’s words, hosting small swaps at my partner’s business,” Radkiewicz said. “As the Swaps grew, the community that formed around them soon outgrew the space. That’s when I realized the potential for something bigger: a city-wide initiative that could bring people together, promote sustainability, and get some new threads. And so, Swap Scranton was born.”
She hopes the swap idea will spread. She is always open to sharing her experiences and pointers for hosting a swap.
