Please join us for a fun Earth Month Clothing Swap and Drive
Refresh your closet at our clothing swap – where style meets sustainability! Trade in pieces you’re ready to part with, discover new favorites, and celebrate fashion, community, and caring for the planet together. Bring your team or a group of friends for a fun Earth Month outing! Help raise funds so Second Chances can support our neighbors in need with free, empowering clothing all year long.
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Tickets:
$40 to swap up to five (5) items and support our neighbors in need
$60 to swap up to ten (10) items and support our neighbors in need
Tickets will sell out and we’re not planning for timed entry or a line, so please buy your ticket early!
Location: Upstairs at Bow Market
1 Bow Market Way | Union Square | Somerville, Massachusetts 02143 | Map »
Getting there: We strongly recommend using public transit, cab, or rideshare if at all possible. Bow Market is on several MBTA bus lines and is about 1/2 mile from the Union Square MBTA Green Line stop.
If you must drive, parking options include:
Two-hour metered (and some unmetered) parking on Somerville Avenue, as well as metered spaces on Bow Street, Warren Avenue, Stone Avenue, Bonner Avenue, and several other nearby streets – be careful about Resident Permit Only parking if you don’t have a Somerville sticker, and note that there is very active ticketing, including for meter-feeding and parking for more than two hours. Meters are in use through 8 p.m.
Public parking lot at 66-70 Union Square (two-hour meters).
Several small private lots where you can scan a QR code to pay for parking, including one near Dunkin’ Donuts and one near Rise Robotics.
Some private parking in the lots at 20 Prospect Street, 50 Prospect Street, and the Cambria Hotel (each about 1/2 mile away).
Tickets include:
Swap clothing with other environmentally- and community-minded neighbors
Light snacks and soft drinks
Cash bar with craft cocktails, mocktails, beer, and wine
Photo booth
Gift bags
Clothing drive for clothing you’d prefer to donate
Raise funds and collect clothing to support folks in our community
When Second Chances was founded in 2005, we were ahead of the curve in adopting circularity, turning waste into opportunity. Since then, together with our generous community, we’ve diverted more than 3.5 million pounds of clothing from landfills through recycling and reuse – reducing environmental impact while helping more than 7,500 neighbors in need.
Participant Info:
What to bring:
Adult clothing for men and women including tops, bottoms, dresses, and outerwear for all occasions
Footwear of all types including dress and casual shoes, sandals, boots, and sneakers
Accessories including purses, bags, scarves, and hats
Gently loved, high-quality items
Closet favorites that deserve a second life
Items you’d feel great lending or giving to a close friend or family member
What to leave home:
Clothing that is ripped, is missing buttons or has a broken zipper or fastener, has holes or stains, or has any strong odors
Clothing that is not clean
Footwear that is broken, torn, stained, has holes, or has worn-down heels, toes, etc.
Low quality items including fast fashion from brands like Temu and Shein
Socks and undergarments of all types
How it works:
Bring up to 10 items of clothing, accessories, and footwear to swap. Everything must be freshly cleaned and in good condition. We can accept wearable adult items for men, women, and unisex.
At the event, you will be able to browse clothing other participants have brought to the swap. We’ll have everything sorted by size and type, with clothing on hanging racks, accessories on tables, and shoes on the floor. Dressing rooms and mirrors will be available. Depending on which ticket level you’ve selected, you can pick up to 5 items ($40 ticket) or up to 10 items ($60 ticket) to bring home.
All funds raised and leftover clothing will support people in need in our community through Second Chances’ clothing donation program. Learn more about our program here.
Pre-event clothing drop off:
It will be very helpful if you drop off clothing before the event so there is a great supply of items ready to go for our guests.
Please label your bag with:
Your name
Your organization (if you’re attending as part of a group)
Whether it’s to SWAP or DONATE
You can drop off items at our office during the following dates and times:
The building is open Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (only).
Dates to drop off:
April 13, 14, 15, 16
April 20, 21, 22, 23
April 27, 28 (bring donations to the event location from 3 p.m. on April 28)
337 Somerville Avenue, 2nd Floor | Union Square, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143 | Map »
If driving, you can park in the 5-minute loading zone in front of our office.
There is a clearly marked container at the top of the stairs to your right and labels so you can add your name and whether it’s a clothing swap donation.
Please email info@secondchances.org if you have questions.