UMassGives 2026

What is New2U?

New2U engages students in operational sustainability through leadership & volunteer opportunities while closing the loop and keeping material goods in circulation on campus. Led by the Facilities Management Sustainability team, we run an annual move-out collection and move-in tag sale, along with a student-run thrift store. New2U Thrift Store is open 3 days a week and hosts regular in-store events and collabs that engage the campus community. More than a move-out program or thrift store, New2U is a paradigm shift that centers circularity, community, and reciprocity while empowering students and building resilience for our campus and region. 

How did we get here?

In 2013, Student Sustainability Fellows saw just how much waste can be generated when over 13,000 students move out at the end of each year. Most of the items that were being thrown in a dumpster during move-out were only lightly used, or even new! A dedicated group of student sustainability leaders saw the opportunity in this problem, and so the idea of New2U was born.  

For over 10 years, New2U Sustainable Move-out captured, collected, organized, and redistributed perfectly good items during move-out for reuse during a GIANT one day move-in tag sale. We have kept over 120,000 pounds of furniture, appliances, and household goods out of the landfill, while providing students affordable and equitable  access to the things they need when they need them most.

In February 2025, after receiving permanent space for New2U, we opened the first-ever thrift store on the UMass Amherst campus. The student-run store currently operates 3 days per week whenever UMass is in session and provides affordable access to everything from clothing & footwear to household and school supplies. Store revenue funds student staff positions and store supplies. New2U Thrift Store welcomes all from campus and the broader community!

In November 2025, the importance of sustainability infrastructure to community resilience was highlighted when Olympia Place, an off-campus apartment complex housing over 230 UMass students, suffered a catastrophic fire. Fortunately, nobody was injured, but the buildings were completely destroyed and residents lost everything. With an active storefront and donation collection space, New2U was able to mobilize quickly and became the centralized donation site for all clothing and material goods coming in for the fire victims. We received thousands of items daily and were able to support over 100 Olympia Place students who came in to access donations.

Where are we going?

New2U has three dreams:

• To build community around circularity by engaging more people in the joy of reuse, thrifting & making
• To improve accessibility to both the annual move-in tag sale and our thrift store
• To more-effectively measure our impact and share our story to inspire other students & campuses

 To achieve these dreams, we hope to forge connections with more student groups and campus entities and get even more collaborative events and activities on the store calendar. We want to increase student leadership opportunities and expand New2U Thrift Store's hours of operation. At the tag sale we hope to improve accessibility for students who identify as disabled - perhaps through an early online or in-person shopping experience and in-dorm delivery. This all requires greater capacity and resources. Your donations will be put towards these dreams by funding any of the following: increasing student staffing, exploring online inventory and shopping tools/platforms, supporting sustainability conference registration/attendance, purchasing a pallet scale for tracking and utility cart for on-campus deliveries. 

Donate today!  Give during our Power Hour Wednesday, 4/29 3 - 4 p.m. and help New2U win BONUS MONEY!  You can help make our dreams come true!! 

Looking for more ways to help?

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS for New2U Spring Move-out Collection.

SIGN UP  HERE:
https://signup.com/Activities#/6128382/jobs/edit