What’s next for Thread Up?

In 2021, Shana Rosenberg hosted a clothing drive at the Oxford Lane Library to help aid families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clothing and bedding in all conditions were accepted, and the people of Oxford showed up to provide around 2,700 pounds through March and April of 2021.

Since its start, Thread Up has kept an estimated 63.5 tons of textiles from being added to landfills, according to Rosenberg.

Rosenberg, executive director at Thread Up, spoke to the Oxford Free Press about how far her business has come and its importance to Oxford.

“[It] started out in my basement,” Rosenberg said. “Volunteers would come to my house and we would sort stuff.”

When Thread Up was just an idea, Rosenberg wanted to get donations of clothing, bedding and other textiles to people who really needed them. 

Soon, the project began to grow, largely due to the community and the goals that the city has set for sustainability. 

As it surpassed Rosenberg’s expectations, it was time to find people to help maintain its growth.

In August of 2021, Thread Up became a certified nonprofit business. 

Nearly a year later, the business was still growing.

“We really were bursting at the seams,” Rosenberg said. “My living room was full of bags, my guest bedroom had bags literally up to the ceiling.” 

She added, “It was really time to either find a place or end it.”

Soon, Rosenberg opened a storefront at Westgate Mall in July 2022.

Thread Up eventually began struggling with financial issues.

Rosenberg said she had hoped to solve them by opening Uptown Threads in Oxford. She partnered with Oxford Talawanda Pantry and Social Services (TOPSS) and made multiple visits to Parkview Arms to help people in need.

Now, Thread Up faces an unknown future, with financial issues making the next few months of the business pivotal and uncertain.

“What I am seeing for our possible future is that we are going to discontinue,” Rosenberg said. “I want to be able to continue the aspects that we are good at.”

Rosenberg said she believes Thread Up “hasn’t been great in the recycling aspect of the business,” even with the development of multiple partnerships along the way. While continuing the environmental mission of her business is still possible, it cannot be done without extreme financial help, according to Rosenberg.

Rosenberg said Thread Up is still trying to support the community, but with a different goal in mind.

“I want to transform into fully having the business of helping people with clothes, bedding and other things that they might need with their home,” Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg invites any volunteers to help maintain and fight for the mission of Thread Up for the remainder of the year. 

“I want to stay open for sure as a business that has the thrift store open,” Rosenberg said. “But it will only be volunteer-run, so it will have limited hours.” 

Thread Up’s new hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the goal of staying open through at least the end of the year.

Sherry Martin, the executive director at TOPSS, commented on Thread Up’s uncertain future.

“Everyone at TOPSS is saddened to hear about Thread Up Oxford’s decision to cease normal operations but we understand how hard they have worked to keep things going,” Martin said. 

“It’s too soon to know exactly what this might mean for our community, but we will keep working to serve our neighbors with the resources available to us.”

Rosenberg is currently seeking legal counsel to help figure out what is next for Thread Up and is searching for different sources of funding.