Uniform swap helps families, recycles

By Christina Galeone
CFP Correspondent
 
The state of the economy is a concern for most parents. With the rise of fuel prices, inflation and the cost of education, many are seeking opportunities to reduce expenses while still providing their children with a good education in an environment where young souls and minds can thrive. And, if those opportunities promote sustainability, that’s even better.
At Saint Mary School in Shrewsbury, students’ parents are blessed to have a parent association that offers them such an opportunity. Along with its many other programs, the Saint Mary School Parents Association (SMPA) has been holding its uniform swap for more than 10 years.  
At least three times a year, the SMPA holds its uniform swap – which was started by Chris Baril, a mom of four former students – in the Saint Mary Church parish hall. With assistance from several parents, the program is led by Amanda Nanni, who stores about 30 bins of donated and sorted uniforms in her home and regularly responds to urgent uniform requests. Parents bring their children’s gently-used uniforms and exchange them for the new sizes their kids need.  And while people are encouraged to keep everything organized by size and style, SMPA volunteers perform daily maintenance to ensure all the uniforms remain organized and the quality standards of donated clothing are upheld.      
The current swap, which takes place from Aug. 18 through Aug. 25, is being run by SMPA member Sandy Aiello. Although the swap is a well-received program and the school’s social media promotes the events, Mrs. Aiello said that spreading the word about the swap and the quality of the uniforms has been challenging. “With each swap, every article of clothing is examined, and if there are holes, or they’re very worn, they are donated and not placed with the swap,” she explained. “We want to make sure our families know that you can come here for uniform pieces that are in great condition.”
She knows how valuable the swap is to families. “For myself, personally, it is a huge savings with having two children in the system,” Mrs. Aiello shared. “When I first started with my son in kindergarten, I was unaware of the swap and bought everything from the stores – which adds up quickly, especially after paying tuition, classroom supply lists, etc. When I found out about the swap, I couldn’t believe what good condition the uniforms were all in and the various sizing. Since then, I have only used the swaps for my children’s uniforms, bringing in uniforms that are now too small and exchanging them for the correct size.”
Ultimately, Mrs. Aiello hopes that families will continue to take advantage of the opportunity that the SMPA Uniform Swap offers them, so families can save money and promote sustainability. “Uniforms have the St. Mary’s logo on them, which I would imagine makes them less desirable at Good Will stores,” she noted. “The program helps to recycle gently used clothing in good condition and keeps them out of landfills. It is also, of course, a good way to save money, especially for families with multiple children, as you can feel good about bringing in your child’s outgrown uniform and swap it for one that will last them for the upcoming school year.”