Calgary small business donates winter clothing: 'We can't have one without the other'
This Thanksgiving weekend, Tigerstedt Flea Pop Up Market organized a winter clothing exchange that gave out about 2800 pieces of clothing for free.
Around 3000 clothes in total were donated by Calgarians and local vintage clothing stores as a way to “put power back into people helping other people.”
“I think that everybody has something to give,” said Alice Lam, the founder of Tigerstedt Flea and the property manager for the block.
“We are all in a difficult situation, so every little help matters,” said Emma Wang, a resident of the nearby neighbourhood who donated some sweaters.
The clothing exchange was organized in a collaborative effort by several Calgary business owners as more and more local businesses are focusing on their social responsibilities and serving the community.
Lam said there was already a conversation happening before the clothing exchange among the vintage stores about giving back to the community.
“How do we make sure that we also offer people who can’t afford Value Village a chance to have nice quality clothes, so that’s why we did the free market,” she said.
Many other businesses avidly participate in community building and give back what they can regularly.
Sought and Found Coffee Roasters on the same block is created to give opportunities for artists to display their artwork and to have a gathering place for community groups and friends, and the Selkirk Grille donated all of their stock of produce and dairy to prepare meals for those in need back in March.
“We want our customers to feel good about supporting us and feel that their values align with ours,” said Lee Crawford-Vieira, one of the lease owners of the Tigerstedt Flea who also runs a vintage clothing business called Prairie Bazaar with her sister.
“If you see what's happening even during COVID, we can't have one without the other,” said Lam.
“We need local businesses for our economy to thrive and our local businesses need our support in order to survive.”
Lam said it was very emotional to see people being supportive even when they can’t make a purchase.
“We are all just practicing being good allies.”
Since 2018, the Tigerstedt Flea is co-leased by three local vendors to provide retail space to a diverse range of businesses and artisans for an affordable price.
Lam also said they are planning on having another free clothing market, possibly indoors, as winter approaches.
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