Neighbourhood partnership brings professional clothing pop-ups to campus for University of Niagara Falls Canada students

Nearly New Thrift Store, UNF Career Services host series of shopping events benefitting youth mentorship programs

Dressing for success has never been easier for students at the University of Niagara Falls Canada, thanks to a pop-up shopping event series that helps them buy affordable career-ready clothing while supporting youth mentorship programs.

The Nearly New Thrift Store - located on Queen Street, just a short walk from the UNF campus – offers new and gently used clothing and household items, with all proceeds helping fund Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara’s programming across the Niagara region.

In 2025, UNF’s Career Services team and the thrift store partnered up to host six pop-up shops on campus, raising $1,249.50 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara. But the impact goes far beyond the numbers.

“Bringing these pop-ups to campus helps us build visibility with students,” said Shelley Dix, a volunteer at the Nearly New Thrift Store. “Every time we’re on campus, we see a noticeable increase in students visiting the store afterwards.”

Thanks to the success of the collaboration, the Nearly New Thrift Store promotes a 15% student discount, available to all UNF students who show their student card. Additionally, students benefit from an additional 13% savings as there is no sales tax charged on items sold at the charitable store. 

“This partnership is truly a win-win-win,” said Kimberly Cleversey, Career Advisor at UNF. “Students gain access to affordable clothing and household items. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara benefits from every purchase. And quality items get a second life instead of ending up in landfills.”

Looking ahead, the enthusiasm for the partnership remains strong heading into a new year and the start of Winter Term at UNF.

“We’re excited to continue this collaboration into 2026,” said Nancy Wilson of the Nearly New Thrift Store. “We have six more pop-up shops planned, and we can’t wait to keep bringing professional clothing to students at an affordable price and increasing the number of mentorship matches for children and youth across Niagara.”

With continued collaboration and community support, the Dress for Success for Less initiative will provide even more students with the confidence and resources they need to pursue their academic and career goals.

The first pop-up of 2026 will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lake Ontario Lounge.