Clothing disposition

[saxikath]

I have a bunch of clothes that don't fit too well anymore. Some aren't worth giving to anyone -- too tattered, or I spilled something on them, or whatever. But some are still in decent shape.

There are various options for what to do with them -- Salvation Army, my church's thrift shop, etc... But I also know that there are organizations that help homeless women and other women trying to get into the workforce by providing them with clothes. ("Dress for Success," maybe?) Some of the clothes I need to shed are business clothes, and I'd like to support such a thing. Anyone know of such an operation in the Boston area?

I feel a massive cleaning binge coming on.

Comments

One possibility

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

The Women's Educational and Industrial Union (www.weiu.org) runs a program for battered women called Horizons Housing. They accept donations of clothing (and other things; they have a "wish list" on their web page) and might be the sort of thing you're looking for.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

From what I recall from the last time I researched it, there are some such organizations, but what they want are mostly Business Suits Per Se (for interviewing in). Since what I have to give away is usually dresses and blazers at best, I didn't pursue it much further.

My plan for my next big closet cleanout -- which I also feel coming on! -- is skimming out stuff that's shelter-appropriate to take over to CASPAR near MIT, then take the nicer/fancier items to a thrift store. I think any effort to channel those work-appropriate clothes to somewhere poorer women can get access to them, even if it's not given to them outright by some organization, is still doing the right and meaningful thing.

[kayre]

I don't know the Boston area, but I'd like to put in a plug for Goodwill (or even St. Vincent dePaul) rather than Salvation Army. Goodwill is far less discriminatory than the Salvation Army. (Yes, anyone can buy at either type of thrift store-- but the SA ties lots of strings to the jobs for which they hire folk.)

[red-queen.livejournal.com]

My mom was a social worker, and she pointed out that donations to shelters or business-clothing-for-folks-trying-to-climb-out-of-pit-of despair gets the goods directly to the folks who need them, free of charge. Not to disparage Chanaleh, but if you want direct action, give them to those who need them rather than selling them.

My two cents, no strings attached. Whatever you do, DON'T do as I do -- amass a bag full of stuff to get rid of, and never deal with it.