Members of CCOSU during the fall semester pop-up thrift. Credit: Courtesy of Sadhana Nori
As part of its annual March Kindness campaign, CRIS Community Connectors Ohio State is hosting a pop-up thrift event Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Blackburn Victory Room, combining sustainable shopping with direct community impact.?
The event, held in collaboration with Buckeye Clothing Connection, invites students to browse donated clothing items organized by category and price across tables throughout the venue.??
CRIS Community Connector’s March Kindness campaign has hosted several events throughout the month, including a trivia night, bake sale and a bouquet-making event. It ends with the pop-up thrift event.?
Jess Gay, CCOSU’s event coordinator, said the pop-up thrift last semester was the organization’s “single most successful event,” which encouraged the club to host it again.??
Gay said CCOSU supports Community Refugee and Immigration Services, a Columbus-based nonprofit serving refugee and immigrant families. She said the event is a “win-win,” as you can shop second-hand and promote sustainability, while also fundraising for CRIS.???
All proceeds, as well as any unsold clothing, go to CRIS, Gay said.?
Sadhana Nori, co-president of CCOSU, said this is the club’s second semesterly pop-up thrift. She said the space will function as a casual, come-and-go shopping experience.
“Each table will have? a different price tag and there will be men’s and women’s [clothes],” Nori said. “People will just get to come in, we’ll have the garage open, so they can just come in and shop around. It’s just a cool way to tie in sustainability while also raising money.”?
Nori said the group is especially focused on contributing to CRIS’s youth mentorship initiative, Community Connectors.?
“We support their youth mentorship program,” Nori said. “We do this through various events, mostly related to fundraising.”?
Unlike many grants received by nonprofits, which often come with restrictions, Nori said the funds raised by CCOSU go directly toward everyday necessities.?
“The grants that the nonprofit gets typically can’t be used for necessities like rent, groceries and school supplies,” Nori said. “So, all of the fundraising money that we make goes directly to those families to help out in those areas.”?
Gay said it’s important to recognize the direct local impact of the organization’s work.?
“Essentially, what we do is we fundraise money here at Ohio State,” Gay said. “It helps support New American families that have come to Columbus from wherever they’re coming from.”?
In addition to fundraising, Gay said CCOSU also encourages students to build connections with youth in refugee families.?
“We also do a mentorship program,” Gay said. “Members can spend a day with the kids, taking them to the library or just getting them out of the house.”?
March Kindness is aimed at engaging students in accessible and meaningful ways, Nori said.?
“Having a campaign that has a fun name, and everything kind of fits under one theme, is just a great way to have a big fundraising push and raise a lot of money,” Nori said.?
For students, Nori said the thrift event offers a simple way to get involved, whether through shopping, donating or spreading awareness.?
“Although we don’t directly work with the families, by doing the recruitment for mentorship, we’re mobilizing more OSU students to help,” Nori said. “Even though it’s on a smaller scale, it has a pretty large impact.”?
Nori said she encourages students to get involved at whatever level feels right.?
“If students are really passionate, I definitely recommend coming to one of our meetings or applying to be a committee member,” Nori said. “But if they’re just looking to support in a smaller way, either keeping up with our social media, and then also just attending any of our events, which we’re always posting about on our Instagram, that’s a great way to follow along.”
This story was updated March 30, 2026 at 8 p.m. to update “Crisis” to “CRIS.”
