Sudbury's Closet Share is becoming a national movement

Founded in 2022 by Melissa and Drew Porter, Closet Share moved from a living room project to a downtown Sudbury location and now operates an online token system serving people across Canada.

Melissa and Drew Porter started Closet Share in 2022 after collecting clothing for a friend who lost belongings in a house fire. The volunteer-run non-profit moved from the couple's Garson living room into a larger downtown Sudbury unit where donated clothing is washed, sorted and distributed. Closet Share operates an online token system and app that gives users weekly tokens to select items for pickup or mail across Canada. The founders say they do not take a salary, the organization has many volunteers, and it has received excess donations that were redistributed overseas. What is known: - Closet Share was founded in 2022 by Melissa and Drew Porter following a local need after a house fire. - The organization moved into a downtown unit to collect, wash, sort and distribute clothing. - An online token system and app provide users with 10 tokens a week to choose items; items can be mailed nationwide. - The group reports 176 volunteers and a mix of regular weekly visitors and seasonal customers. - The founders have not drawn pay and have not secured government funding, relying on community donations. - Media coverage led grassroots groups to help move surplus clothing overseas to places such as Nicaragua, South Africa and Jamaica. Summary: Closet Share has expanded from a home-based effort into an operation serving people locally and nationally while addressing textile waste and clothing access. The organization says it is at capacity in its current space and expects demand to continue growing. Plans to expand were mentioned by the founders, but timing and specific next steps are undetermined at this time.