The Season of Giving

Giving – to ourselves!

Giving to others

One of the tenets of Nancy Dilts Wardrobe Consulting is to keep functional clothing in the use stream. Donation of clothing that is still in good shape but no longer being worn is a win-win for the environment and for people who do not have the means to purchase the clothing they need.

This will only become more essential in the coming months. Your old winter coat will be a blessing for a person who is unhoused. A suit can mean job readiness for a recently arrived refugee, and basic staple pieces can create a new wardrobe for a woman escaping domestic abuse and starting over.

As we celebrate this month and next with our loved ones, here are some ways to bring joy to others who may be struggling. In almost every community, there are local organizations that offer services to specific groups of people in need. They meet the immediate needs of their clients – interview and work wear for women and men developing job skills to enter the work force, a free-of-charge clothing shop for people who are unhoused, winter outerwear for refugees who have been forced from their own countries.

These organizations are vital to the well-being of so many of our fellow citizens. Look online for local organizations in your community and consider a clothing or monetary donation to one of them.

Twin Cities organizations 

• Dress for Success (national; local affiliate-St. Paul)
  • Professional clothing for women entering or re-entering the workforce
• Joseph’s Coat (St. Paul)
  • Provides clothing and essential goods to individuals and families facing a variety of challenges, including homelessness
• Nine Lives Thrift (St. Paul)
  • Supports folks by providing no-cost shopping opportunities that build self confidence and support a path to self sufficiency with dignity and grace
• Old School by Steeple People (Minneapolis)
  • Profits given to local programs and organizations supporting the needs of children, people experiencing homelessness, and other deserving populations
• Family Pathways Thrift Store (Forest Lake)
  • Supports Family Pathways’ essential services that strengthen our communities through equitable access to healthy foods, safety, housing, economic security and social connectedness
• STEP-St. Louis Park Emergency Program (St. Louis Park)
  • Provides assistance and food and clothing to St. Louis Park residents in need
• Neighbors Clothes Closet (South Saint Paul)
  • The Clothes Closet is a nonprofit thrift store located in South St. Paul and supports the programs and services offered by Neighbors, Inc.
• Assistance League Thrift Shop (Richfield)
  • Provides support of the Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul’s philanthropic programs and mission to improve the lives of children and adults locally

The generosity of giving is powerful in untold ways. I’d love to hear what other local organizations you care about that help bring new life to people in your community.