Two Round Hill Teens Organize Local Clothing Swap Shop

By KAMNA TALWAR
News aRound the Hill
Closet2Closet is a local clothing swap shop located in Purcellville that was created and organized by Loudoun Valley High School seniors and Round Hill area residents Katelyn Chapman and McKenzie O'Connor.
The two girls came up with the idea of a clothing shop while looking through their closets.
“I was cleaning out my closet and realized I had good clothes that others could use,” Chapman said.
“Katelyn called me and we were going through our closets and got clothes together,” O'Connor added. “We called lots of friends, and they helped.”
Chapman's father allowed them to use a vacant store he owns in Purcellville to set up their shop. It is located at 138 21st Street.
The shop provides free clothes—some that have been hardly, or even never, been worn before—to people in need. Closet2Closet is open to donations and swapping of clothes, shoes and accessories for women, men, children and teens.
“We accept anything, but we need more seasonal clothes,” O'Connor said.
Donations can be dropped off at Closet2Closet or at the new INOVA medical building on Hirst Road.
The clothes are completely free and one could simply walk in, find something, and take it home.
“You don't even have to donate to get clothes," O'Connor pointed out. The girls are accepting food to donate to the local food bank in lieu of clothing donations.
Additionally, “You don't have to demonstrate need,” explained Chapman. "You can just take the clothes for free; just leave the hangers!"
Closet2Closet has had a large turnout so far and has had a great effect on the Round Hill and Purcellville communities.
“It's really cool because it's helping a lot of people and a lot of people have donated clothes,” Chapman said. “Everybody is involved with donations and swapping.”
“The economy is bad, so it's helping there, too,” said O’Connor.
Chapman and O'Connor said that they are committed to Closet2Closet until graduation. After that, Chapman said she hopes “it can be passed on throughout the community and just help as many people as possible.”
The store will stay in business as long as there are clothes to be given out.
“We'll continue to open a few weekends until someone rents out the storefront,” O'Connor said.
Closet2Closet is open Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. The store is open to volunteers to help organize clothes.
Anyone who would like to get involved can contact the store or the girls on Facebook or via their email address at Closet2Closet.help@gmail.com.
(Kamna Talwar is a junior at Loudoun Valley High School.)
 

Fire Department Urges Safety for Fall, Winter

By JACK FREAR
Round Hill Volunteer Fire Department
With the advent of crunching leaves under your feet and shield bugs trying to get into your house, it’s once again time to prepare for fall and winter by checking smoke detectors, cleaning your heaters and looking over your disaster kits for your house and car.
Most folks check their detectors when the time changes (a simple reminder), but many also do it at Thanksgiving ... sort of “I’m thankful I’ve got smoke detectors.”
Be sure to change the batteries in all your units, test them and check the age of the detectors. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that any smoke detector more than 10 years old (and any carbon monoxide alarms more than five years old) be replaced.
Practice Exit Drills In The Home (EDITH) to remind your family what to do in an emergency. It’s easy to forget where to meet outside, how to get out of the house, and what your smoke detectors sound like. Once you have evacuated, never go back into the house until the fire department says it’s okay.
If you heat with wood, be sure to have your stove, chimney and flue cleaned and evaluated for repair. Have other installed heaters (electric baseboard, oil, propane, gas) serviced. Be sure to evaluate any free-standing heaters (oil-filled radiators, etc.) for age and condition. Keep an A-B-C rated fire extinguisher in the house.
Lastly, if you have a disaster survival kit in your house, check it and replace items such as water, expired food or emergency products and expired medications. Some over-the-counter medicines can cause real problems due to aging. If you have a car emergency kit, check it for heat-damaged or expired supplies, missing tools or things that should be added (emergency blanket, flares, jumper cables, etc.).
Be safe and have a wonderful fall and winter.