They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Chana Shields and Dalia Stelzer, both of Teaneck, New Jersey, took this to heart, and with the annual Teaneck Children’s Clothing Exchange not taking place this year decided to put a new spin on a greatly needed chesed. The women created The Clothing xChange, which is already helping children throughout the community get “new to you” clothes.

The Clothing xChange is seeking “gently used” children’s clothing that is clean and in good condition. Shields and Stelzer request that the clothes be bagged by size in preparation for an exchange. The family is then able to exchange the clothing with another family who might need that particular size and, in turn, there may be another family that is offering clothing that they can use. This is the perfect opportunity to donate outgrown clothes and get new clothing for your child without having to incur unnecessary expense.

The bags of clothing will be left outside people’s front doors and, if the contents are not what is needed they can go back into The xChange for someone else’s benefit. Everyone is invited to join The xChange. This venture is not based on need.

There are two ways to get involved. Fill out the form on the website at www.exchangenj.org and you will be connected with someone who has what you need. You can also join the Facebook group called THExCHANGE, where you can share pictures of particular clothing items that you have to exchange. Perhaps you have a great dress for a 2-year-old to wear to a wedding that you want to pass along. Post the picture and the location of the item to see if one of the members needs it. People can also make specific requests for things that they need. As with the annual clothing drive, they are only looking for current clothing in great condition. Please don’t donate clothing with rips or stains, or styles more than five years old.

Please sign up to donate or receive (or both!). If you’ve been meaning to clean out your child’s closet, now is a great time!

By Nina Glick