How a CT college created a ‘thrift shop’ with goals beyond just finding a bargain

The goals go beyond finding the best deal or fashionable find.

Everyone loves a bargain.

It’s true for for college students who live on a limited budget and that’s where the Thrift Warriors thrift shop at Eastern Connecticut State University comes in to help students find clothing and create an attractive and functional living space while also contributing to the university’s sustainability efforts. The space also is one for chatting with others, and socializing.

“This is something a few universities have in different parts of the country and I came to see the need for this last May when I supervised a student volunteer who organized the university’s annual move out event that tries to collect usable items and divert them from the landfill when students are leaving for the summer,” said Patty Szczys, executive director of the Institute for Sustainability who spearheaded the all-volunteer, student run campus thrift shop.

“We’re really talking about college students who have needs and we could potentially divert some of these items – clothes, dorm fridges, fans – into a location on campus so, especially our first-year students would know there’s a place to get items for free and not buy everything new.”

Launched on February 1 and located in Winthrop Hall, the shop is open to Eastern students. It provides free, gently-used clothing in a variety of styles and sizes; small appliances, such as toasters, coffeemakers, rice cookers, and ice cream makers; and school supplies, games, decorative items, mirrors, and artwork.

“We encourage students to take things they need and like,” said Szczys who worked with the Center for Community Engagement to staff the shop. It’s open Tuesdays, noon to 4 p.m., Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursdays 3 to 7 p.m. Donations are accepted when the shop is open.

“You can find any style in one place. We don’t have just wardrobe; we have dorm essentials and daily items students might need,” said freshman Briana Santos, a staff member.

Aidan Stewart, a senior, said he appreciates having a place to recycle “really awesome clothes,” adding that thrifting can “help someone who might not be able to afford (new clothes) right off the shelf.”

Since opening, the campus thrift shop has seen a constant flow of students.

“It’s generating the buzz we hoped it would. Students remark about the quality of the items,” said Szczys noting some clothing comes in with new tags.

“Being student-run, I empowered the store manager and volunteers to make it a space that’s attractive to students to reflect their needs and desires. There’s music on, chitter-chatter, people are browsing,” Szczys said. “It’s another space on campus where students can gather to thrift and make connections and we’d like to enhance that. One of our staff members who dropped off some donations remarked the students were so pleasant and excited to be there and grateful for the donation.”

Jannik Wille, a freshman, said he enjoys the social aspect of thrifting while enhancing his wardrobe and supporting sustainable practices. “It’s a great way to help the environment,” said Wille, whose roommates sparked his interest in thrifting. “It makes you feel good.”

According to Szczys, the mission of Thrift Warriors is two-fold.

“One is to divert items that might be finding their way into the landfill. That’s the environmental (and) sustainability aspect.  But equally important is we’re meeting the needs of some of our students. We know college is expensive and coming to college shouldn’t require setting up an entirely new household,” she said, adding, it represents a culture shift of moving away from a disposable economy toward appreciating items that have been loved before.

Szczys also noted Eastern’s president has a strong commitment to sustainability and was one of the first college presidents to sign a climate commitment, with Szczys’ position reflecting that commitment to the campus.

Logan Brennan, a junior, is aiding a social media effort to raise awareness of the campus thrift shop, noting, “Our generation is heavily invested in thrifting.”

This movement is largely “fashion-based,” as college students are interested in “vintage clothing,” said Brennan.

Szczys encourages staff and students to consider donating unwanted items to the program the next time they clean out their closet or move out of the dorm.

“I think students don’t realize how much stuff they have, and there tends to be waste when people move,” she said.

In December, university staff donated hundreds of pounds of items to the shop. “We all know that there are items we no longer want that are still useful. That’s really the foundation for enculturating ourselves to reuse, upcycle, and reduce wasteful lifestyles. This will provide an opportunity for students to leave perfectly useful things. It should be a game changer in that regard.”