What started with a closet full of clothes has turned into something much bigger for one California teenager.
Nicole Bjornsen, 18, began selling secondhand clothing on Depop in May 2026, hoping to raise money to help families struggling to afford food in her community.
Just a few months later, she’s shipped more than 261 items across the country and raised $1,654, according to an Oct. 28 Upworthy report.
Through her initiative, Sweet Balance & CareLink, Bjornsen has helped serve more than 50 families and provide over 200 meals in California’s San Mateo County.
But the idea behind her efforts began long before she listed her first piece of clothing.
How Her Grandmother Inspired Her Mission
Bjornsen’s motivation came from caring for her grandmother, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine and lived with her family for several years.
In an interview with Upworthy, Bjornsen recalled helping her grandmother manage her diabetes, accompanying her to doctor’s appointments, translating for her and preparing meals.
The experience opened her eyes to the challenges some families face when trying to access nutritious food and medical care.
Bjornsen and her sister later founded Sweet Balance & CareLink, an initiative focused on improving access to healthy food and support for caregivers.
But with no money to get started, Bjornsen needed to find a way to fund her idea. That’s when she turned to something she already enjoyed: fashion.
Turning Secondhand Clothes Into Meals
Bjornsen started selling clothing through Depop, an online marketplace for buying and selling secondhand fashion.
On the Sweet Balance & CareLink website, she explains how the fundraiser works in four steps:
Collect: Gather clothing donations from friends, family, classmates, thrift stores and local Buy Nothing groups. Resell: List, sell and ship the donated clothing through Depop. Feed: Use half the money raised to purchase fresh meals for families. Give: Donate the remaining half to Samaritan House, a nonprofit supporting people facing financial hardship in San Mateo County.For Bjornsen, the project has become a way to help families while honoring the lessons she learned from caring for her grandmother.
How Others Can Help
Bjornsen hopes her experience encourages others to find ways to support their own communities, even if they don’t have much money to start.
Her advice is to begin with the resources already available rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity.
What began with a few clothing listings has since grown into an initiative that combines her interest in fashion with her goal of making healthy food more accessible.
Bjornsen’s secondhand clothing listings are also available through her Depop shop.
Learn more about the project here.
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