Threadlines from Thread Up Oxford
July 2025
Socks, Socks, Socks!
Your trash might just be our treasure at Thread Up Oxford. No, we don’t want your stinky garbage, but we do want your socks! New socks, old socks, holey socks, mismatched socks… we’ll take them all.
You might be wondering: what on earth do we do with all those socks? At Thread Up Oxford, we strive to give every textile a new lease on life. Our team of dedicated volunteers carefully sorts through each item, checking the quality. Socks in good to like-new condition are recirculated right back into the community. We always keep a stash of free socks available at Uptown Threads. So far in 2025, we’ve given away 1,420 pairs to individuals in need.
Of course, not every sock is ready for a second life. For the mismatched, threadbare, or holey ones, we work with Terracycle, which provides responsible textile recycling programs. Even better, they send us funds based on what we recycle. In the past six months, Terracycle has returned $559 to support our work.
So as you dive into summer decluttering, don’t forget to bag up your socks—any condition, as long as they’re clean—and bring them to Thread Up Oxford.
It’s free, it’s easy, and it makes a difference!
Check Out Our Updated Outreach Booth!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Greater Oxford Community Foundation, we were able to give our off-site event booth a major upgrade this spring, and we couldn’t be more excited about it!
We love attending local events like the Oxford Farmers Market, EarthFest, the Fresh Air Fair, and the Oxford Wine & Craft Beer Festival. It’s always a joy to connect with our community and share our mission with folks who haven’t had a chance to meet us yet.
Before this update, we were working with old, worn-out equipment that made setup a challenge. But thanks to the support of the Foundation, that has changed. We now have a new canopy with side walls and an awning to keep us protected from the elements. We also picked up some helpful comfort and convenience items for our volunteers, like chairs, a wagon, and a collapsible dolly to make hauling our gear a breeze.
On top of that, we refreshed our signage, displays, brochures, and all the other printed materials we share during events. It’s been a total glow-up for our presence at community gatherings!
The best part is that with functional, well-organized equipment, we can spend less time fussing with setup and more time doing what we love - connecting with our neighbors and spreading the word about Thread Up Oxford.
We hope to see you at our next event!
Help Keep Thread Up Oxford Running Strong This Summer
Summer is a time of sunshine, growth, and community; and at Thread Up Oxford, it’s also a season when we need your help the most.
Throughout the academic year, the majority of our volunteer support comes from Miami University students. Their energy and commitment help us sort, process, and redistribute thousands of pounds of donated textiles each month. But when summer arrives and students head home, Thread Up Oxford is left with a major gap in hands-on help. A gap that makes it difficult to maintain our usual pace of operations.
That’s where you come in.
We’re calling on local residents to step up and be part of the work that keeps our mission going. Volunteers assist at our Warehouse location at 5156 College Corner Pike, helping with essential tasks like sorting and processing donated textiles. This behind-the-scenes work is vital to everything we do, keeping high-quality materials out of the landfill and getting them into the hands of community members who can use them.
If you’re looking for a way to give back, meet new people, and support sustainability right here in Oxford, we’d love to welcome you as a summer volunteer. Shifts are flexible, the work is meaningful, and the impact is real.
Volunteer hours are available Tuesday-Friday from 11:00-4:00. Volunteers can stop by anytime during those hours to help out. If you’d like to schedule a group to volunteer please email us at info@threadupoxford.org.
Thank you for helping Thread Up Oxford thrive this summer—and beyond.
Need a Materials Donation From Thread Up Oxford?
At Thread Up Oxford, we’re always looking for meaningful ways to connect textiles with those who need them most. Programs like Karma Bucks, Freejects, and our Creative Reuse Grants help us regularly distribute materials throughout the community, but we know there are still unmet and urgent needs out there.
In the past, we’ve provided textiles for disaster relief, supported families who lost homes to fires, and even supplied local farms with sheets to protect crops from frost. We want to deepen our connection with the community so we can respond more quickly to these kinds of immediate and impactful needs.
That’s why we’ve created a simple request form for community members to ask for textile donations for time-sensitive needs and community-focused projects. Whether you’re organizing a neighborhood initiative, helping someone in crisis, or have a creative idea to reuse materials for good, we’d love to hear from you.
🏊♂️ Kiwanis Back to School Bash
🗓️ Sunday, August 10, 2025 | 🕐 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
📍Oxford Aquatic Center
Join us at this year’s Back to School Bash where we’ll help the students of our community get ready to go back to school with a fresh new look! We could use volunteers for set up and during the Bash itself. Contact info@threadupoxford.org if you’d like to help out!