Do you need an extra sweater for this cold weather? Or how about a good book to read while curling up next to a fire?
Well, there’s good news folks as the Squamish Climate Action Network’s Adult and Teen Clothing & Book Swap is on this October.
Held at the Brennan Park Recreation Centre auditorium on Oct. 19, this year’s event will introduce a new teen-specific category, aiming to bridge a gap identified in previous swaps.
"We have included a specific teen category as we identified this as a gap in our adult and kids-specific clothing and book swaps," District of Squamish outreach sustainability coordinator, Laura Wittenzellner said.
The swap provides an opportunity for the community to trade gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, and books for free. Residents are invited to donate or collect items without any obligation to bring something or take something in return.
The event will take place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants can drop off items on Oct. 18 between 4 and 7 p.m. or on the day of the event, from 10 a.m. to noon.
“This is a volunteer-supported free event that the District of Squamish funds for the community, and no funds are raised,” Wittenzellner said.
“Leftover items primarily go to local charities, and what cannot be reused locally is donated to the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver.”
Participants are asked to self-sort their donations upon drop-off at the appropriate tables, with volunteers available to assist.
“Please ensure that donated items are in good condition and clean as we cannot accept broken or dirty items,” Wittenzellner said.
“We also ask that folks self-sort and drop off items at the applicable tables. Of course, we will be able to lend a hand with that.”
While this event focuses exclusively on adult and teen clothing and books, the District of Squamish runs a Re-Use-It Fair once a year, which offers a broader scope of donation categories. The most recent fair took place in August at Brennan Park.
There will also be a separate kids’ event in November.
Community members interested in volunteering for the swap can contact [email protected].
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The Squamish Chief’s Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
