PROVIDENCE – Fast fashion has become quite the trend with students at Providence College, and Mary Gifford picked up on that right away when she first set foot on campus as a freshman four years ago. The now senior at the Dominican Friars college noticed over the years that her fellow classmates have a plethora
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FRIARTOWN'S CLOSET, the on-campus thrift store owned and operated by Providence College student Mary Gifford, currently has approximately 300 gently used clothing items rotating within the store's main shopping space at a time. / COURTESY FRIARTOWN'S CLOSET VIA INSTAGRAM[/caption]
Gifford subsequently received close to $30,000 in grants from PC to help launch Friartown’s Closet. Such grants, according to PC, included a $9,000 grant from the Providentia Endowed Fund, $5,000 for winning the Ryan Incubator’s inaugural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and a 2023 Summer Undergraduate research grant through PC’s Center for Engaged Learning that included a $4,000 stipend and $500 in supplies.
PC’s entrepreneurship incubator has seen other success stories recently. Ramirez told PBN that one student recently won the college’s latest innovation competition for creating a straw that can detect date-rape drugs in beverages. She also said a former PC student who participated in last year’s innovation competition and a student from a neighboring college recently opened a thrift store on North Main Street.
“They see the possibility [of launching a business] through this program,” Ramirez said. “I think the more students that are launching things and are successful, the more other students can see ‘oh this is a possibility for me.’ ”
Ramirez also said there were close to double the amount of PC students who participated in this year’s innovation competition than from a year ago. She feels participation will only further increase in the years to come, especially with PC alumni becoming engaged with the program as coaches and mentors to students.
Keeping the community clothed also goes beyond PC’s campus. Gifford also said she and her classmates recently held a clothing drive at PC’s Smith Hill Annex facility where close to 15 bins worth of clothing were donated to those in need. She also says Friartown’s Closet – which can be found on various social media sites, including LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram – is now collecting clothing donations for its spring community drive.
Going forward, Gifford says her main goal is for Friartown’s Closet to continue operating on campus after she graduates from PC. She also hopes to branch out and see if other neighboring colleges would like to have their own “Friartown’s Closet,” of sorts.
“I would rather go to other college campuses and see if I can fulfill another need there, do a store on campus and events off campus for their communities,” Gifford said. “I would love to stay in Rhode Island and see if other colleges in Rhode Island would need a similar business model.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at