Nobody Asked for Soccer Jerseys

The flight didn't happen. The jerseys are still going.

A Family We've Known for Seasons

I've known this family for years — the way you know families in this work, which is to say deeply, through time, through watching children grow.

Zoey was a beloved afterschool students at Columbus Fashion Academy — season after season, one of those students who makes the whole room brighter just by being in it. Her younger sister Gwen followed. Their mom Beth became part of the fabric of The Fashion Community the way the best people do: by showing up, by caring, by never being too far when something needed doing.

When Beth reached out to ask if we could contribute kids' clothes for a medical missions trip to Kenya she and Gwen were taking, I said yes without even thinking about it.

But then my soccer mom brain kicked in.

The Jerseys Nobody Asked For

Here's something that has always driven me a little crazy: club soccer teams require families to buy brand new uniforms every season. Perfectly good jerseys, barely worn — sometimes used for a single season — set aside. Replaced. Discarded by a system that prioritizes newness over use.

I had boxes of it. Jerseys. Practice tees. Enough to dress an entire kids' team.

And I thought: kids in Kenya love soccer. Of course they do. Soccer is the world's game precisely because it requires almost nothing — a field, a ball, and the will to play. But the right shirt, the right jersey? That matters. That is the difference between wearing something and wearing something that means something.

Nobody asked me for soccer jerseys. I just knew they belonged in those boxes.

So I packed them all — carefully, with intention — as The Fashion Community's contribution to this mission.

My small frustration with club soccer's waste, redirected. That's the circular model in miniature: a material that was finished in one context finding exactly where it needs to go next.

The Closed Door

The trip was planned. The bags were packed. The names of every person and organization who contributed were written on the outside — our jerseys alongside everything else, a whole Columbus community showing up together for something larger than any of us.

And then the airspace closed.

The medical missions trip was postponed. Beth, Gwen, and everyone who had prepared to go were stopped at a door that wasn't ready to open.

Beth wrote something after the cancellation that I have not forgotten: "Too often in life we will unknowingly sprint into danger — today we are protected by a closed door."

I have been sitting with that sentence ever since.

What Is Already in Transit

Here is what I know about circular fashion after years of building this ecosystem:

The love is already in transit.

Those bags exist. Those names are written on them. Those jerseys are folded inside, waiting. The decision to give was already made — and a decision made with that kind of intention does not expire when the logistics change. It travels ahead of us, arriving before we do, preparing the ground.

The door will open. And when it does, a child in Kenya will wear a soccer jersey from Columbus, Ohio, and feel exactly what the person who packed it intended them to feel: seen. Thought of. Worth something.

That is what The Fashion Community believes about every garment we steward. It is not just fabric. It is a decision someone made about what deserves to keep living — and where it belongs next.

Thank You, Beth, Gwen, and Zoey

Thank you for letting us be part of this.

Thank you for being the kind of family that shows up for your community, your neighbors, and your world — across years, across seasons, across closed airspaces and open hearts.

Kenya will know you. The door will open.

To donate clothing or materials to The Fashion Community's mission — locally or for outreach efforts — visit talkingfashion.net.

About the Author

Priscila Teixeira is an award-winning community leader, passionate educator, fashion artist, and public speaker, dedicated to empowering people through creativity and fostering meaningful change. She is the Founder and CEO of Columbus Fashion Academy, a local social enterprise transforming lives through sustainable fashion, and the Founder and Executive Director of The Fashion Community, a nonprofit human services agency committed to caring for all people through innovative programs and initiatives that cultivate creativity. With a postgraduate degree in Fashion Business and Communications, graduating cum laude, Priscila has earned recognition for her work across Brazil, Cuba, and the United States, spanning roles in major corporations to small businesses. Passionate about human rights, justice, equality, inclusion, fairness, and artistic freedom; she believes adults, parents, educators, and community leaders have a responsibility to guide and support children and youth. She believes our community must lead and inspire by example, showing care for people and the planet. Through her work, Priscila blends artistry and advocacy to inspire others and create a more sustainable and equitable world.