I started Community Threads because I had been attending and loving clothing swaps for many years. When I moved to LA, I asked around about clothing swaps but wasn’t really finding many, so I decided to create the kind of gathering I was looking for.

I began hosting the swaps monthly, gathering with other women in friends’ living rooms. Over time the gatherings organically grew into bigger groups and larger venues. The spirit never changed. More and more people found their way to us, and today the swaps are welcome to both women and men of all ages.

Amazingly, this all tied in perfectly with my work as well. As a professional organizer, I regularly leave clients’ homes with bags and bags of beautiful, barely worn pieces, and I love having a way to share this clothing in a more meaningful way than simply dropping it off at a thrift store.

The many bags of clothing that still need a home after each swap are shared directly with unhoused neighbors in our community.

Watching people light up when they find the perfect piece, or when they realize their donated items will help someone else, continually reminds me why this matters.

Community Threads is about more than clothes. It is about belonging, dignity, and trusting that we have enough when we share.