A California college student is turning secondhand clothing into meals for her neighbors.
Nicole Bjornsen, an 18-year-old student, has helped provide more than 200 meals through a resale project that puts its proceeds toward food and community support, according to Upworthy.
Here's what to know
Bjornsen launched her resale effort in May and established Sweet Balance & CareLink to support her community. Using the resale app Depop, she has mailed over 261 pieces to customers across the country, raising $1,654.
Proceeds are split evenly between preparing fresh family meals and supporting Samaritan House, a food bank and community center in San Mateo, California, that combats poverty.
By delivering food donations herself, Bjornsen could see where the help went with her own eyes. That connection was an important reason behind keeping the support in her own community.
The effort has helped more than 50 families.
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"I'm really interested in how food costs affect families, and who gets left behind when prices go up," Bjornsen told Upworthy.
More background
Bjornsen's grandmother, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine, spent several years living with the family. Bjornsen told Upworthy that caring for her sparked an interest in helping others get adequate nutrition.
Until she was about 16, Bjornsen helped with medical appointments, translation, medication reminders, and meal preparation.
Access to nutritious food and medical care was difficult for her grandmother, who had diabetes. Helping her made those barriers clear to Bjornsen.
Bjornsen told Upworthy she "saw how hard it was for her to eat well and get care in a system that wasn't built for her."
Bjornsen met a woman named Madina and learned that Madina's mother lived alone and was too sick to cook for herself. Bjornsen prepared Kazakh meals for her, telling Upworthy: "Food from home means so much more than just a meal. It's comfort, and it's familiar."
What can be done?
Bjornsen built the project around clothing she already owned, alongside donations from friends and relatives, fellow students, nearby secondhand shops, and Buy Nothing groups on Facebook. She handles shipping orders, managing listings, photographing, and sorting the clothes.
For people interested in taking local action, Bjornsen's approach is a specific starting point: an existing interest paired with a nearby need. Rather than waiting to build a large operation, Bjornsen paired her interest in fashion with support for a local food organization.
"Start with what you already have. I didn't need money or a big plan to begin, just a closet, a phone, and [the free] Depop app," she told Upworthy. "Pick a cause close to home so you can see the results. And don't wait until you feel ready. My first $1,000 took about four months, and it grew faster once people saw I was serious."
Bjornsen said the project has also "taught [her] pricing, marketing, and shipping — all real business skills."
"I want Sweet Balance to keep growing, and I'm excited to see how far a closet full of clothes can go."
Where can I learn more?
Bjornsen is putting unwanted clothes to use by selling them to help feed her neighbors.
• A Michigan couple built a thrift shop that sent $3.8 million to schools, replacing wrapping-paper drives.
• A Boston nonprofit pays teens $15 an hour to grow 200,000 pounds of food for hunger relief.
• In Osceola County, Salvation Army is looking for help as mobile pantry demand has jumped 68%.
• Florida's Salvation Army pantry in Port Richey went from 30 visitors a day to 100.
• A parent questioned discarding perfectly good clothes as a donation glut overwhelmed thrift stores.
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