Rows of skirts, sweaters, shirts and shoes filled SAC Ballroom B this Wednesday when the Theta Phi Alpha sorority held its second annual “Theta Thrift Shop” on Nov. 11.
This fashionable fundraiser came to life with the help of Theta philanthropy chair and junior sustainability studies major Kylie Campanelli.
“I really wanted to do something new for a local organization that we cared about,” Campanelli said.
According to Campanelli, some of their sisters were involved with the organizations they are donating to, by being supported by and working for these organizations.
This year the thrift shop supported the Long Island organization, L.I. Against Domestic Violence.
This organization provides services for adults and children escaping abusive homes and relationships.
The sisters strived to make the shop bigger and more successful than last year’s thrift shop with new amenities like a henna station and bake sale.
According to Campanelli, the sisters raised $500 for Mercy Center Woman’s Shelter last semester.
Mercy Center Woman’s Shelter is an organization dedicated to helping women in need.
“We did both a donation and giant shopping trip, shampoos and conditioners, a lot of feminine products,” Campanelli said.
The need for feminine products is what inspired Campanelli to hold a drive at this year’s thrift shop. With every five products a customer donates, they can receive a free item from any section of the shop.
“That is something they are really desperate for in women’s shelters, things that we take for granted every day but these women don’t have access to,” Campanelli said.
This year’s thrift shop was open longer than last year’s and had a lot more clothing options to choose from, according to Campanelli.
All day long, Stony Brook students perused the selections at the event.
Junior political science and applied mathematics/statistics major Joshua Chulic was one such student.
Chulic skimmed the aisles of the perfectly imperfect mismatched apparel.
“It is really cool to see a vast amount of styles,” Chulic said, “And to maybe find something you weren’t necessarily looking for but you’re just like ‘oh, that’s neat.’”
The sisters made it a point to present quality items for people to purchase.
“We made sure nothing is stained or dirty, we made sure everything was gently used,” Campanelli said “A lot of things still have tags on them that have never been worn before.”
The shop offered men’s and women’s clothing alike as well as shoes and accessories.
The event raised a total of $800 dollars in clothing, bake sale and henna sales for L.I. Against Domestic Violence.
“I feel that for college students need something that is cheap and enticing,” Campanelli said. “And who doesn’t love cheap clothes?”
