The weather has been really nice this week, allowing for sandals and light outerwear all week long. What a treat!
I’m wearing my recently acquired Uniqlo linen shirt here again (2nd time in one week). I love how light and easy it feels on. And if you are paying attention to details, you might notice that I’m wearing new (pre-owned) shoes! I bought a second pair of the SAS suntimer sandals that I already own in Navy. They are such good work appropriate shoes for the summer that I decided to buy a second one in black. I went for a half size larger than my old pair to get a little more room around the toes. I found a pair that was practically new on PM for about $25 (retail $120).
Speaking of Poshmark. I’ve had several things up for sale for probably over a year now that I haven’t been able to sell. I was going to donate it all to Goodwill at some point. But I’ve also read about how the bulk of Goodwill donations don’t ever get re-sold and most of it goes to recycling centers (at best). But anyway today I decided to do something different with my Poshmark items.
I’ve been working with a young female patient who is homeless and has intellectual disability. She was admitted to the hospital after a heroin overdose. Her clothes must have been cut apart en route to the hospital to put IV lines in quickly. She seems like a really sweet person and has been through a lot of hardship to say the least. She asked me for underwear, shoes, and clothes because she literally has nothing. I told her I’d ask the hospital social workers for charity clothes but it turns out the hospital clothing supply is low. They have plenty of coats for the winter, but that’s about it. Then I realized we were about the same size, and it occurred to me that I should just give her all the clothes in my Poshmark closet that I hadn’t been able to sell, along with a sports bra and some flip flops that I already own but never wear. She could really use it and it would help me clear out some space too. A win-win.
Most hospitals have a supply of donated clothes to give to patients who need them. Often times these patients are homeless or very poor. Sometimes they get admitted when the weather is nice and then sent home when the weather is freezing cold and need winter coats, socks, and boots on their way home. A lot of times, patients’ clothes are destroyed in the emergency situation that led to their hospitalization. They are commonly elderly, and might be alone, and have no nearby friends or family who can bring them clothes. Charity clothes are handed directly to patients who have an immediate need for them by social workers who arrange their discharge from the hospital.
I thought I might share this with you guys in case you’re looking for good places to donate your stuff. In addition to regular medical hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and children’s hospitals could also use art supplies, toys, and games. It’s pretty easy to find out how you can do this. You can call any local hospital and speak to the operator, customer service, or the volunteer office and ask them if they are accepting donations.
How about you? Do you have other ideas on where to donate used clothing and things?
[outfit: *Marni cashmere cardigan, Uniqlo linen top, Elizabeth Suzann cotton twill clyde (old), *SAS suntimer, *Dagne Dover midi tote]
Dr. it girl 
I didn’t know that about hospitals and clothing. It makes such sense. Thanks for the tip!
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=) Thx!
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That is a great tip – I’ve never considered that hospitals would collect those types of items. I usually bring my unsold items in to the thrift shop at the college campus where I work. Everything is priced at $1 (profits go toward scholarships), though vouchers are made available for students/faculty/staff who have encountered an emergency situation or are homeless. A lot of college campuses offer a “professional closet” that allows students to borrow clothing for interviews, too.
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How interesting. I hadn’t heard about thrift shops and student programs like that before.
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Totally a win-win. I love that you were able to put to use the items that have been sitting around, and I’m sure this person was so grateful. I wonder why there hasn’t yet been a partnership with Goodwill and area hospitals. It seems like it would make a lot of sense if the thrift stores have too much supply while hospitals don’t have enough.
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That would be a great idea! Who knows, maybe there are some hospitals that do partner up but it’s certainly not a widespread thing.
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That’s good to know. I am also a fan of the organizations that collect professional wear for women seeking employment after adversity (abusive relationships, incarceration, etc). They are often locally-based charities.
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Ah yes, I thought about that organization too. I think there’s one called “dressed for success”.
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Thank you for this post, and good for you! I agree that wards, EDs in major safety net hospitals, etc., could really use the clothes. Pts ask for things all the time, and it’s so sad to have to hand them scrubs… this is so very kind of you.
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Thank you. Yeah exactly, a lot of patients end up with scrubs, which is fine, but they need things like bras, underwear, socks and shoes too. And it seems harder to find things for women. Wished there was a better system in place to distribute free clothes.. we are recycling so many textiles, when there are so many people out there that need clothes.
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That’s a great idea that I’d never thought of before! Back when I started my blog and was in the middle of more aggressive rounds of decluttering, I didn’t end up with that many pieces to donate. It was really hard to figure out what to do with those items. (I ended up donating them somewhere near school that was very upfront about how most donated clothes were likely to end up in fabric recycling.)
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I had a similar problem back when I was downsizing too. Thankfully at that time there were clothing bins on the streets nearby, but then the city shut those down because they didn’t have permits. I think Housing Works is going to roll out some bins throughout the city soon where you can throw clothes in at your convenience. Haven’t seen any in real life yet though.
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