30/10/2026
The power of one: ONE person can make a difference
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.
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.”
