Lighthouse Club’s “Threads” pop-up thrift store offers secondhand clothing, raises money for fight against human trafficking
Two students look at the various items for sale.
Photo credit: Elizabeth Salo
By Elizabeth Salo
The students in Lighthouse Club, Concordia’s affiliate of International Justice Mission which seeks to fight human trafficking across the globe, raised over $600 with their annual Threads Thrift Sale on April 24-25.
The sale had several racks of various clothing items for sale. Photo: Elizabeth Salo.
In March and April, Lighthouse Club collected donations of used clothing items, shoes, and accessories in good condition, sorted them, and put them into their pop-up thrift sale. Over the course of the two-day sale, which ran from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days, Lighthouse Club raised $684.
Sophomore biology and pre-medical major Jack Jackson helped with the sale and explained that all of the money goes directly to IJM to help in their efforts to fight human trafficking.
When possible, students were asked to donate directly to IJM via QR-code instead of paying in person, with the minimum donations being $5 for 1-3 items, $10 for 4-5 items, and $15 for 6 or more items.
Anna Pennekamp, a sophomore elementary and middle-level education major, attended the thrift sale with a friend.
At the sale table, the Lighthouse Club also had stickers and pamphlets about the reality of human trafficking. Photo: Elizabeth Salo.
Pennekamp said she liked the thrift sale because it allowed her to support a club that works for an important cause even if she doesn’t have time to support them in other ways. She said that they had a good variety of clothes available for purchase, and she highly recommended that other students check out the sale.
Brynn Holtmeier, a senior special education major and the president of Lighthouse Club, explained that the idea of a pop-up thrift sale is an important part of IJM’s fundraiser model for college chapters.
“This is one of the events that has been part of their model for college chapters for a really long time, and it’s in order to make a statement against the fast fashion industry,” said Holtmeier. “There’s a lot of people who are trafficked or put into slavery working in the fast fashion industry, and so the inspiration is to upcycle clothes and raise money from clothes that people donate, and they don’t wear but are still in good condition, in order to sell those items and raise money to fight human trafficking.”
Other Lighthouse Club events that raised awareness of human trafficking and fundraised for IJM included a Valentine’s Day flower sale, a concert by Christian band Remedy Drive in December, the Dressember campaign, and more.
