Nearly 1,000 Donated Items Find New Homes Through Marist's Fox & Found Marketplace
Ari Venture ‘27 smiles in front of donated items that have been meticulously cleaned and arranged in preparation for students. Photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist University.
October 6, 2026 — Community service, compassion, and Red Fox pride combined to form the first annual Fox & Found Marketplace at Marist University. Nearly 300 students attended the launch the day before classes started, sifting through roughly 1,000 donated items collected during Semester Sweep Out (SSO).
At its core, the program aims to recycle and repurpose items that students would otherwise throw out at the end of each semester, while giving students greater access to free dorm supplies and move-in necessities.
While the new initiative expanded access to essential dorm items for Marist students, it also created opportunities to strengthen community engagement and sustainability.
Fox & Found recirculated donated items within the Marist community after initial donations were made to local organizations. These local partners include Hudson River Housing, Mid-Hudson Love INC, The Barn Thrift Shop, Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County, Dutchess Outreach Acts of Kindness, and the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse.
“I've seen an immense amount of donations and items saved from the landfill,” said Ari Venture '27, Student Director of Fox & Found and Semester Sweep Out. “It was always a goal of mine to see what SSO could become—I wanted to make an actual impact.”
A Fox & Found poster hangs in one of several rooms filled with donated decorations, furniture, and items ready for a second life. Photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist University.
Making Resources More Accessible
By providing free furniture, clothing, appliances and other necessities, the event helped students create comfortable living spaces while reducing the costs and transportation challenges associated with shopping for move-in supplies off campus.
Fox & Found even provided a shuttle to transport students across campus, eliminating the challenge of carrying larger items back to their residence halls.
Twenty-five international first-year students received early access to the space, helping address the challenges of securing essential dorm and move-in items when moving to a new country.
To promote a more equitable shopping experience, Ari organized a color-coded donation system for the event. Students could choose four yellow items, three green items, and two red items—with colors indicating the size and value of each item. The system encouraged students to consider which items they needed while ensuring donated resources were distributed fairly among students.
Ari Venture '27, explains the color-coded system for shopping to student volunteers—a system she designed to ensure fairness and equality throughout the experience. Photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist University.
Driven by Student Leadership
Fox & Found was made possible through the collaboration and initiative of Marist students. The Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership paved the way for Fox & Found, providing student leaders with a space to plan and launch initiatives that address student needs, strengthen campus organizations and support the broader community.
Bringing that vision to life required the dedication of Marist students. Throughout the summer, student volunteers, including Marie and Rupert Tarver Summer Interns, sorted, cleaned and organized donated items and helped run the opening-day event. Even with the unexpected turnout, volunteers remained kind, energetic, and committed to making the experience accessible and welcoming for students.
Ari also designed the Fox & Found logo and managed its Instagram account, helping bring visibility to the initiative and its potential to make an impact across campus. Several comments on Fox & Found’s social media posts were ecstatic with the launch of Fox & Found. With users exclaiming, “Such an amazing idea!!! Way to go Marist!!!” and “This is a great way to reduce so much end-of-semester waste.”
Across the Marist community, alumni, staff, and students reached out to the Instagram page to see how they could donate items they no longer need and to praise the emergence of the program.
An anonymous student shopper stated, “My friends and I needed a new rug, and we got a beautiful one at Fox & Found. Later, at HomeGoods, we found the exact same rug for $80.”
The before and after of just one room that was once overflowing with collected items and furniture and now sits completely empty. Left photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist University. Right photo courtesy of Ari Venture '27.
“My daughter visited Fox & Found to see the amazing work the team has done,” said Rebecca Brown, Fashion department chair. “We left with some pretty awesome items for her college apartment!”
The success of Fox & Found’s debut demonstrated the student-led sustainability and community service initiatives at Marist. By creating opportunities for leadership, civic engagement and service, the program not only benefited nearly 300 students during move-in but also strengthened Marist’s culture of community and sustainability.
“There’s so many things that you can do with this new initiative,” said Ari. “I’m excited for the students who will bring new ideas and momentum into the future of this program.”
Interested in getting involved with Fox & Found? Sign up to volunteer for semester-long initiatives here. For more ways to lend a hand around campus, check out opportunities through The Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership.
