As a result of slow economic growth in the Bay Area and surrounding communities, organizers at the Albany Community Center have been encouraged to sponsor clothes swapping events for those in the community who cannot afford new clothing for summer months.

Last Wednesday, the center sponsored a swapping event where local residents brought their unwanted items and exchanged them with other used apparel to cope with the steady jobless economy this spring, as reported by the United States Department of Labor.

In February 2012, over 36,000 jobs disappeared in the United States, resulting in an unchanged national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent.

“The U.S. economic growth is slow in goods and services produced, which is at an inflation adjusted annual rate of 2.2 percent for this quarter of 2012,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

Although the job market has shown some improvement in the past year, the recovering economy has affected many citizens in the Bay Area, with unemployment resting between eight and nine percent since the start of the year.

In the tough job market, Bay Area residents have found solace in swapping clothes rather than buying new clothing when money is tight.

In 2012, the federal government extended unemployment benefit programs. However, the length of the benefits will be trimmed down to 73 weeks in states with the highest rates of unemployment and 63 weeks in other states.

“This is my second time coming to the Albany Community Center clothing swap,” said Alita Alee, El Cerrito resident. “I think it is the sign of the times that organizations are doing events like these clothing swaps for the community.”

Some residents say they have been unemployed for months struggling to make ends meet. Events such as the Albany Community Center clothing swap help those in need of a new wardrobe, which aids residents preparing to look for employment, as several clothing items at the event were appropriate for job interviews.

Local residents brought bags of washed, gently worn items to the Albany Community Center’s swap meet where clothing was presented on labeled tables. Residents arrived before 7:30 p.m. to lay their unwanted clothing on display on individual tables.

There was clothing for men, women, plus sizes and children to choose from at the tables, while some residents brought their children to learn the experience of giving.

“The Albany Community Center sponsors a clothing swap here every three months,” said Pam Toellew, Albany Community Center Organizer. “After the Clothing swap meet, [the] clothing that is left over from the [event] we donate to the Urban Farmer.”

Toellew said the swapping event usually generates a crowd of around 50 people.

“My husband and I go to swap meets in Berkeley too,” said Naomi Fitzgerald, Albany resident. “We have [found] nice things like hand craft knitted sweaters and my husband have found good shirts at the clothing swaps. We bring all our unwanted clothes here to the swap meet and go home with new ones.”