OREM, Utah — Stepping up to help each other, the Orem community is helping families get the things they need this winter through a clothing swap.

Monday night at Lakeridge Junior High, families picked out items and filled bags with clothes, jackets, shoes, books and more.

“It’s a blessing to be here, to be able to get them the clothes they need and be able to give back,” said Alyssa Dixon, a mother of three. “As a single mom, it’s really hard to support and especially with how expensive the prices are, with inflation, gas prices, everything going on, it’s really hard to do that on top of the clothes I want and the clothes I they need.”

All items are donated by others in the community. The free clothing swap was hosted by the Alpine School District Outreach Team.

“It’s for everyone in the community,” said Alyson Madsen, community coordinator for the Alpine School District. “Whether or not you have school-aged children.”

Families brought clothes that their children had outgrown or no longer wore and had to get new ones.

“It feels pretty good because you don’t have to pay for it,” said Lia Atondo, an eighth-grader at Lakeridge.

Last year, the exchange was only at one school. This year they expanded to more schools because they saw a need and have been collecting donations since September.

“It fills a need,” Madsen added. “It supplements something that they usually couldn’t get for themselves for their own family. And it makes me emotional sometimes because it’s just something that we can give them and they can’t for themselves. .”

Children can choose their own clothes, which helps them feel more confident and able to express their own style. Plus, staying warm in the winter is now one less thing for these families to worry about.

“Going through the struggles of life, it’s just really helpful,” Dixon added.

Another clothing swap is happening at Orem Junior High School this Friday, which is open to the public. And if you want to help, they need more winter coats. Donations can be dropped off at the school before or during the event between 6-8pm