FAQ
Questions people ask. Answered plainly.
Every question Bloom Swap is asked, sorted by who is asking: guests, clothing donors, hosts, partners and volunteers. Each answer is short and ends with the page that says more. Nothing at a Bloom Swap has a fee, and nothing on this page asks you for anything.
On this page
Clothing swap questions, by who is asking.
Choose your section, or read straight through. If your question is not here, the last section says how to ask it.
Bloom Swap is a free clothing program. People arrive, browse racks sorted by size and style, take what fits who they are and leave with a bag. The answers below are the same ones the rest of this site gives, gathered in one place so nobody has to hunt.
Bloom Swap is a program of Bloom Ministries, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Salem, Oregon. Nothing at a Bloom Swap has a fee, and nothing donated is ever sold.
Coming for clothes
For guests.
Eight questions people ask before their first swap.
Guests
What guests ask
Still asking? Write to swap@bloomministries.org and a person answers.
Is it really free?
Yes. Nothing at a Bloom Swap has a price, nothing is sold before, during or after, and nothing you take is tracked. Bloom Ministries runs it, and no program of Bloom charges for care. How a swap works.
Do I need to bring clothes to take clothes?
No. You do not have to bring anything to take something. The word swap describes clothes moving from people who have them to people who need them. If you do have some to give, see what Bloom takes.
Do I need ID, or to give my name?
No ID, no name and no form at the door. The notify list asks for a name only as an option, and never a legal name. The safety page lists every rule that protects guests.
Is it only for trans people?
Bloom Swap is built with trans and nonbinary people first in mind, and anyone who needs clothes that fit is welcome. Why Bloom Swap exists.
When is the next swap?
When one is announced, it is on the board two weeks ahead with its venue, dates, hours and an access line. Until then, no swap is promised. See upcoming swaps and join the list.
Where do swaps happen?
At host venues in Oregon and Washington, with Portland metro and Salem first. Where swaps happen shows every region and the board by city.
Is the venue accessible?
Every host venue must have a step-free way in, seating and large-print rack labels. Restrooms and dressing space vary, and each listing says what its venue has. Accessibility at a swap.
What if I need clothes before the next swap?
Tell us. The request form asks for the safest way to reach you and what you need, and a person replies within one business day. If you cannot wait for a swap.
Giving clothes
For clothing donors. Not sure about one item?
Six questions from people with a closet to clear. For a single item, ask the checker first.
Choose something from your closet.
The answer, and the reason for it, appears here.
Yes, please
Tops and shirts
Clean, whole and ready to wear. Every size, especially larger ones.
Yes, please
Jeans and trousers
Working zips and buttons, no heavy wear at the seams.
Yes, please
Dresses and skirts
Everyday and occasion wear alike.
Yes, please
Coats and jackets
The first rack to empty in the cold months.
Yes, please
Suits and formal wear
For interviews, court dates and ceremonies.
Yes, please
Shoes and boots
Clean pairs with soles that still have wear in them.
Yes, please
Belts, scarves, bags, hats
Accessories are sorted onto their own table.
Yes, if new with tags
Bras
New with tags only, for health and dignity.
Yes, if new with tags
Underwear and socks
New and in the packet, only.
Yes, if new with tags
Binders and gaffs
New only. They are set apart so they can be chosen privately.
Yes, if new with tags
Swimwear
New with tags only.
Not at a swap
Children’s clothing
Not at swaps. Tell us what you have and we will tell you where to take it.
Not at a swap
Bedding and towels
Swaps carry clothing only. We will point you to a shelter that takes linens if we can.
Not at a swap
Stained or damaged items
If you would not hand it to a friend, it cannot go on a rack.
Not at a swap
Toys, furniture, household goods
Clothing only, so the room stays a room of racks.
Not at a swap
Fabric and craft supplies
Not at the moment.
Donors
What donors ask
Still asking? Write to swap@bloomministries.org and a person answers.
What does Bloom take?
Clean, whole clothing in every size, shoes, outerwear and accessories. Undergarments new with tags only; binders and gaffs new only. Give clothes has the full list.
What can Bloom not take?
Damaged or stained items, bedding, toys, furniture and children’s clothing. If you have something Bloom cannot take, ask, and we will tell you where to take it. What Bloom takes and cannot take.
Where do I bring clothes?
To a swap, or by arrangement; there is no drop-off box to leave things in at any hour. Scheduled pickup is not offered yet; when it is, this answer will say where.How to give clothes.
Is any of it sold?
Never. What a swap does not use goes back to storage for the next one, and Bloom plans to send clothing to unhoused neighbors through congregations running drives. Where the clothes go describes the whole path.
Do I get a receipt for tax?
Bloom issues an acknowledgment letter for donated goods. The value is yours to set; Bloom is not a tax advisor. Give clothes.
Can my congregation run a clothing drive?
Yes. Bloom brings the bins and the signage, collects when the drive ends, and sorts what comes in. The first drives are being planned now. Clothing drives.
Lending a room
For hosts.
Six questions from congregations, campus groups and community organizations thinking about hosting.
Hosts
What hosts ask
Still asking? Write to swap@bloomministries.org and a person answers.
What does hosting cost?
Nothing. No fee, no share of anything, nothing to buy. You lend a room and a weekend; Bloom brings everything else. Host a Bloom Swap.
What does Bloom bring, and what do we provide?
Bloom owns, stores, sorts and launders the clothes, delivers them the day before and removes them the day after, with the racks, signage and playbook. You provide a room, a weekend, dates set together at least sixty days out, and a contact. The host page sets out both columns.
How much notice do you need?
At least sixty days between agreeing a date and the swap. The kit, the volunteers and the announcement all run to that calendar. The host playbook has the whole sixty days.
What kind of room works?
A room with a step-free way in, space for racks, somewhere that can be curtained for changing, and a restroom nearby. The readiness check on the host page asks eight short questions and tells you what to sort out first, never a score.
Who carries the insurance?
Do we have to be an affirming congregation to host?
A host agrees to the playbook’s conduct rules for the two days: no photographs, no questions of guests, no comments on bodies or choices, nobody turned away. That is the whole test. A swap in your parish hall, and for campuses, campuses and organizations.
Businesses
For partners.
Six questions from businesses whose clients are Bloom’s community.
Partners
What partners ask
Still asking? Write to swap@bloomministries.org and a person answers.
What does a partner receive?
Acknowledgment on every banner, host kit and page: your name, locations and web address, in the form the IRS treats as acknowledgment rather than advertising. Partner with Bloom Swap.
What does partnership never buy?
A rating. Partnership never affects a Bloom Directory score, and an acknowledgment never calls a partner the best, recommended or trusted. What recognition is, and is not.
Is a sponsorship a clean business expense?
A qualified sponsorship is often treated by a business as a marketing expense. Confirm with your CPA; Bloom is not a tax advisor. The recognition page links the IRS rule it follows.
What is a Founding Partner?
A permanent designation for the first five organizations to partner in 2026–27. The name stays on the Founding Partners page for good; active benefits require renewal. The Founding Partners.
Can a competitor partner too?
Category exclusivity applies only where a tier states it. Otherwise more than one business in a field may partner. Partner with Bloom Swap says which tiers include it.
Can our staff volunteer?
They are welcome, and it is never required. Partnership and volunteering are separate. Volunteer with Bloom Swap.
Giving a Saturday
For volunteers.
Four questions from people with time to give.
Volunteers
What volunteers ask
Still asking? Write to swap@bloomministries.org and a person answers.
What are the roles?
Sort days, which are quiet work in good company; swap days, greeting and re-hanging; and driving racks the day before and the day after a swap. Volunteer.
Do I need experience?
No. Bring yourself; roles are planned around people, including standing, lifting and sensory needs. Drivers need a licence, and the van is rented. Sign up to volunteer.
What rules do volunteers agree to?
No photographs of guests, no comments on bodies or choices, name tags with pronouns, and guests are never asked anything. The safety page has the full set.
How much notice will I get?
At least two weeks. When a swap or sort day is set near you, you hear by email with the address, the hours and the role plan. Volunteer with Bloom Swap.
Not answered here
Still asking.
If your question is not on this page, ask it. A person reads every message.
Write to Bloom through the contact page. If what you need is clothes before the next swap, use the request form instead; it goes straight to a person, never joins a mailing list, and gets a reply within one business day. Journalists have a page of their own.
Join the list
Hear about the next swap first.
Most questions end in the same place: a date, near you, two weeks ahead. One sign-up and your nearest city is all it takes.
In danger right now? Bloom’s crisis support is free, and a person answers