Local groups sponsor school clothing exchange
By James Tilson
Associate Editor
EPHRAIM—A local coalition of religious groups will be holding a first-ever clothing exchange to help back-to-school students and their parents clear out their closets and find new clothes for school.
The Sanpete County Interfaith Council, along with the Ephraim Lion’s Club, Ephraim Elementary and the City of Ephraim, will be holding the Ephraim City Children’s Clothing Exchange at the Ephraim Elementary School Auditorium on Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Friday from 3 to 7 p.m.
“There’s a need,” says organizer Sue Young. “There are all those clothes that don’t fit. Why not bring those clothes to people that have a need.”
The clothing exchange organizers plan to have parents bring in clean, useable clothes as donations on Thursday, and then will make those clothes available for those that need clothes for their school children on Friday.
Young asks parents to bring in fall and winter clothes, shoes and boots for children from babies through eighth grade. They will also accept backpacks in good condition. Any clothes not given away will be donated to the Ephraim Clothing Resource Bank.
“I think it’s a really good way to re-use our resources, too, instead of letting them go to waste,” says Young. “Kids just grow out of stuff—shoes, backpacks—that is still good. Why not re-use?”
The steering committee for the clothing exchange is made up of Young, Fernando Montano, deacon of the Ephraim Catholic Church, Lorna Olson, president of the Stake Relief Society, and Sheryl Bodrero, head of the Interfaith Council and president of the Ephraim Lion’s Club. Rodney Zydicher, pastor of the Ephraim Church of the Bible, also assisted.
“This is our first try,” says Young. “We hope it goes well. We’ve already learned several things that would’ve helped, and might help us do better in the future.”
As for whether they will do this again, Young says, “We’ll evaluate it, but we sure hope so. If it’s useful, and feedback is positive, we certainly will.
“It’s not hard, we just have to organize and get volunteers together.”
