Thrifting funds new scholarship: Pop-up thrift shop provides opportunity

Coastal+has+clothes+ready+to+sell+hanging+up+and+a+donate+bin+in+their+converted+storage+unit.+The+club+promotes+sustainability+efforts+with+their+signs.+

Photo by Caroline Surface

Coastal has clothes ready to sell hanging up and a donate bin in their converted storage unit. The club promotes sustainability efforts with their signs.

Sustain Coastal hosted a pop-up thrift shop on Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that provided sustainable second-hand items, and a chance for students to get involved on campus.

All items sold at the shop cost $1. This included hats, sunglasses, wallets, bags and an assortment of clothes. Additionally, kitchen supplies such as utensils, pots and pans were available.

All proceeds made from the pop-up went toward a scholarship fund called the Coastal Carolina University (CCU) Endowed Sustainability Scholarship Fund. It will be available for students to apply soon.

“We are very close to meeting our goal so that we can get it published and students can start applying for it,” Brooke Perkins, Sustain Coastal’s eco-representative, said. “The money goes completely back to the student body.”

The items sold in the thrift shop were donated from students, faculty and staff. Donation bins are located in two of the residence halls, and Sustain Coastal picks up donations from the faculty and staff offices. Along with Sustain Coastal’s other events, the pop-up thrift shop happens once a month.

The organization also hosts the farmers market multiple times during the year. The thrift shop started in 2015 and has been a tradition ever since.

“I love doing this because it is a great way to show the students that we can keep clothes out of the landfill,” Perkins said.

Many students were seen lining up to go search through the clothes. Some of the clothing were kept on hangers inside of a storage unit. Most of the hanging clothes included an assortment of professional business attire.

“I like thrifting because generally you can find stuff that you couldn’t find in stores, like older styles and clothes that are already worn in,” Freshman Annika Simard said.

Sustain Coastal is always accepting donations. To set up a donation pick up or drop off time slot, contact them at [email protected] or 843-349-2763. The next pop-up thrift shop will be on Thursday, Nov. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m on Prince Lawn.