Student Volunteers Run Thrift-Like Style "Bazaar"
Community Engagement Board
By Aimee Li' ‘28
On Thursday, May 29, Community Engagement (CEPP) and the Sustainability Board hosted the annual Milton Bazaar, marketed as Milton’s very own thrift store. CEPP and Sustainability Board members helped set up and organize this event, and the Boarding Council promoted donations in respective dorms. Student volunteers set up clothing racks and tables on the quad from 9am to 4pm on Thursday, with CEPP and Sustainability Board representatives running the cash register all day. A variety of clothes, from puffers to prom dresses, were sorted into different piles, with every section offering clothes for five dollars or less. Although the Bazaar opened at 9 in the morning, several new items had been added to the piles by the afternoon.
The Milton Bazaar is entirely student-driven and supports sustainability, as well as CEPP’s local partner organizations. All profits made from the Bazaar and the remaining clothes that did not sell were donated to local sites that host CEPP volunteers. The makeshift thrift store not only helps students obtain “new” wardrobes but also helps boarders clear out their closets as they start packing for summer break. Volunteers undertook behind-the-scenes work leading up to the event, including advertising and collecting clothing donations from around campus. Boxes collecting donations boasted different categories for winter clothes, summer clothes, sports jerseys, and other types of garments. The donation boxes went up on Tuesday, May 20, giving people a week to organize and donate clothes.
The Bazaar has been around for only two years. The event was started in 2023 by Mai Le ‘24 and Scarlett Eldaief ‘24, the two co-heads of CEPP for the 2023-2024 school year. In its first year, the Bazaar attracted hefty student participation and ultimately raised over $1,000 for various charitable organizations in the Milton area. Last year, unfortunately, due to a downpour of rain, the event was moved into the RSG and therefore had a smaller turnout, raising $375. However, the organizers still wound up donating heavily to charity, because all unsold clothes were relocated into donation boxes.
The Bazaar was created, in the words of Ms. Geyling-Moore, as the “first step in the green moveout,” encouraging “thoughtful reuse of clothing items.” All of the profits from this year’s event will go to one of three charities, balancing the aims of both the CEPP network and the local sustainability community. When students purchase from the Bazaar, they can choose which of the three charities they would like to donate to. This year, the options offered were the Neponset River Watershed Association, the Milton Food Pantry, and Brookview House, a women’s center in Boston that works to fight against homelessness among women and children. Last year’s Bazaar also designated Brookview House as a donation recipient.
The Bazaar was well-attended by students, boarders in particular. The event’s organizers cited multiple potential reasons for its popularity. Chloe Yeo ‘26, a Sustainability Board member and a boarder in Millet House, said that she “love[s] looking through the piles” of clothing because of how they “represent different fashion trends.” She also believes that the Bazaar is a great way to “ingrain sustainable initiatives into Milton’s fashion culture.” Rhia Patel ‘26, member of CEPP and a boarder in Robbins house, stated that the Bazaar is “a great way to clean out your closet [knowing] that your donations will go towards a good cause.” For boarders, having to pack up all their clothes at the end of the year can be tedious, so many take this opportunity to not only donate to a good cause, but also make moving before the summer less of a headache.
At the end of the day on May 29, CEPP board announced that they raised a total of $440 for the three partner organizations, and all leftover clothing was donated to other organizations. Yeo stated that it was great to see the Bazaar “come to even better fruition” this year and “carry on Mai’s legacy.” Both student volunteer boards intend to continue the tradition next school year as well.