Gen Z is obsessed with Depop, the resale app recently acquired by eBay. It’s a fun way to shop, sell, and make a little money/ But one California college student is using the art of reselling for more.
Nicole Bjornsen, 18, began reselling donated and used clothes on the app in May 2026 to help feed her local community. She established Sweet Balance & CareLink to turn donated clothes into meals for local families.
“I’m really interested in how food costs affect families, and who gets left behind when prices go up,” Bjornsen tells Upworthy.
Bjornsen was inspired by her grandma
Her heart to help others feed themselves came from her immigrant grandmother.
“My grandma came to the U.S. from Ukraine, and she lived with us for a few years,” Bjornsen tells Upworthy. “I helped take care of her until I was about 16. I went to her doctor’s appointments, translated for her, reminded her to take her medicine, and made her meals.”
Her grandmother had diabetes, and Bjornsen “saw how hard it was for her to eat well and get care in a system that wasn’t built for her.”
She felt called to help others in similar situations who struggle to afford and obtain adequate nutrition.
“When I started thinking about how to pay for food donations, I looked at what I already loved, which is fashion,” she adds. “Selling clothes on Depop felt like a simple way to turn something I enjoy into meals for people who need them.”
Selling on Depop
Bjornsen sells a mix of her own clothes and donated clothes from her friends, family, classmates, local thrift stores, and Buy Nothing Facebook groups in her area.
“I sort them, photograph them, list them, and ship every order myself,” she tells Upworthy.
In just a few months, she has shipped more than 261 items to customers nationwide. So far, she has raised $1,654.
“Half of what I raise goes to fresh meals for families, and the other half goes straight to Samaritan House (a local community center and food bank fighting poverty in San Mateo),” Bjornsen says. “Samaritan House is right here in San Mateo County, so I can drop off food donations in person and see where the help goes.”
Bjornsen knew she wanted the money she raised to stay local. Through her efforts, Sweet Balance has served more than 50 families and provided more than 200 meals. She has had help and partners along the way, including a woman named Madina.
“Her mom lives alone and is too old and sick to cook for herself, so I cooked Kazakh meals for her,” she says. “Food from home means so much more than just a meal. It’s comfort and it’s familiar.”
Inspiring others to resell for charity
Bjornsen hopes to inspire others to help their local communities by reselling clothes.
“Start with what you already have. I didn’t need money or a big plan to begin, just a closet, a phone, and [the free] Depop app,” she tells Upworthy. “Pick a cause close to home so you can see the results. And don’t wait until you feel ready. My first $1,000 took about four months, and it grew faster once people saw I was serious.”
Bjornsen adds that running Sweet Balance has “taught me pricing, marketing, and shipping—all real business skills. I want Sweet Balance to keep growing, and I’m excited to see how far a closet full of clothes can go.”
To learn more about Sweet Balance or donate clothes, click here. Shop her Depop closet here.
