Ava J. Matza

The College Closet, located in Larsen 107, is free thrift store for Luther community members. This winter, it will keep warm clothing available for students and faculty, and welcomes donations.

The introduction of a free College Closet program led by Maria Hendrickson (‘26) will offer essential gear to students in need this winter, as temperatures drop and snowflakes begin to fall.

The College Closet was announced to the Luther community through the weekly Bulletin email sent on November 14th. The email informed readers that the closet would be open from 5-9 p.m. every day of the week in Larsen 107, and that donations are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Hendrickson made note of needed and frequently donated items.

“Right now, there are a lot of scarves and hats,” Hendrickson said. “We got a pretty good sized donation from someone who hand knitted or crocheted scarves, so that’s the majority of what’s in there now.”

To visit the closet, members of the Luther community simply have to enter Larsen’s 1st floor common room, turn left into the dormitory area, turn right and walk down the hall until you see the last room. There is a sign on the door stating the closet’s information. The closet accepts donations from students, faculty and staff, encouraging community involvement and promoting sustainability by reducing waste through the reuse of winter clothing items.

Hendrickson has been trying to build attention for the Larsen 107 closet mainly through bulletin announcements and referrals. However, word of mouth has also helped the closet gain traction. One student who came to check out the closet looking for a winter scarf was Ingrid Roeske (‘27).

“I heard about the closet through some upper class friends and I thought it would be interesting to check it out,” Roeske said.

However, Hendrickson is still determined to increase its visibility. She shared plans to place signs in Larsen and other dormitories to inform students about the resources available. Hendrickson also aims to leverage social media to create an online presence that will inform and encourage participation and donations from the wider college community.

“My dream would be that it [the closet] continues and I pass it on to a future student when I graduate, and it continues to grow in that way,” Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson said her reasoning for starting the closet came from multiple reasons, and was conceptualized from a fashion-centered research project.

“Often students are willing to share clothes with one another without a thrift store in place, so this is a place where people can donate things they’re no longer using and others can have access to the collection,” Hendrickson said. “This closet is based on a pretty immensely-researched project aiming to combat fast fashion trends, over-consuming, and creating waste, along with all the unfair labor conditions involved with the clothing industry as a whole.”

As the frosty season settles in, this initiative serves as a reminder that warmth extends beyond the layers of clothing. Any questions about the College Closet can be sent to Hendrickson at [email protected].