Written by: Divya Palasamudram
Roshni Daruvuri and Tanvi Kadam hosted a clothing drive in their neighborhood and were collected 37 bags of clothing, 2,137 items to be exact! What an impressive amount! 25 of these clothing items will be featured on Trendy Thrifts, an online clothing site, where all the profits made go to a nonprofit called Note in the Pocket (NITP). NITP is an organization that provides quality clothing for homeless and impoverished children in Wake County, all clothing that did not go to Trendy Thrifts, went directly to NITP.
How was the drive set up?
Before Roshni and Tanvi set up their drive, they set their collection goal for 100-200 articles of clothing. In order to meet this goal, they made sure to promote their drive through both the children and adult neighborhood group chats. They also promoted their drive through posting flyers at their community mailboxes, making sure to put a lot of information about NITP on these flyers.
What happened during the drive?
The drive took place over a span of 3 weeks, the first two weeks being when the most donations were collected. Roshni and Tanvi noticed that most people donated during the evening, after the school and work day is over. Children would play outside in the neighborhood and adults would walk around during the evening hours, making it prime time for donations.
Tips from Roshni and Tanvi
Along with the clothing drive, Roshni and Tanvi were also simultaneously hosting a new supplies drive for Carolina For The Kids. Looking back at the experience, they recommend hosting and promoting one drive at a time. This will allow both drives to be able to have time in the spotlight. As for this case, the supply drive was less focused on by the neighborhood, and as Roshni mentioned, it could have had more success if it was done separately from the clothing drive.
Conclusion
All in all, hosting a successful drive takes drive and initiative, and every item collected plays a significant role in supporting the community. The pandemic has hit many in our local community, so community service is appreciated now more than ever! If Roshni and Tanvi’s drive has inspired you to host your own neighborhood drive, go for it! General Services is here to help in any way!