Parent Association Hosts Community Closet

Organized by our Parent Association twice a year, in the fall and in the spring, the Community Closet is a school-wide, week-long clothing swap. Members of the High Mowing community are invited to donate seasonal, gently used items that they no longer need. Outgrown clothing, accessories, and shoes are accepted from infant through adult sizes during the prior week, then sorted by Parent Association volunteers and displayed for children and parents to "shop" before and after school. Anyone can take home anything they like — all is free and there's no need to give in order to get.

Parent Association leader Ana Branca Lopes puts it this way: "By swapping instead of buying new, we honor the resources that go into making our clothes and help reduce waste, nurturing a culture of mindful choices about consumption and gratitude."

This biannual event also adds to the sense of "extended family" amongst our students. Parent Association leader Amy Snedaker shares, "My own children get so excited about the Community Closet twice per year, because they love seeing younger kids at school wearing their beloved outgrown items, and are equally thrilled to find things once worn by older kids that they are now big enough to inherit."