How to Find Free Clothing Assistance

There have been times in my life where I couldn’t afford to buy new clothes for either myself with the changing seasons, or for my child as she grew. I have always been an avid thrift shopper, but sometimes even thrift store clothing is too much to afford.

There are many reasons people may need help finding clothing. Whether it be nice clothes to wear to job interviews or for those first couple days of work until their first paycheck arrives, resources are out there. If you are struggling to afford clothing, here are some helpful suggestions on How to Find Free Clothing Assistance.

How to Find Free Clothing Assistance

Check with local homeless shelters. Many people mistake homeless shelters as a place only for those who are actually homeless. However, most centers offer help to anyone in need even with things like clothing. They often get more than enough donations and have plenty to go around. Many shelters offer a ‘shop day’ that allows people to come and pick out a certain amount of clothing (2 shirts and 2 pants per person for example) on a specific day. Call local shelters and ask them if they offer a clothing closet. They may even be able to get you more resources as well.

For infants and maternity, look for a local pregnancy support center. When I was pregnant with my now teenager daughter, I went to a pregnancy support center and was able to get free maternity clothing. A lot of it was brand new since it isn’t the kind of thing people hold onto once they have their baby. They even set me up with a layette once my daughter was born.

Try consignment shops. Consignment is almost like thrift shopping except you can get store credit for your ‘donations’. If you have almost new clothing that you want to part with, check with local consignment stores to see when they do buy-backs. They will usually set them up on an appointment basis and you could walk away with new clothes after gaining store credit. This is a great option for kids as they grow out of things. There are also online consignment stores as well such as ThredUp.

Look at websites like Freecycle or Craigslist. Many people find free clothing on Craigslist. They have a ‘free’ section and often times people just list boxes of clothing for free in this section. You can also check with a site like Freecycle. On Freecycle, people post what they have to give away and you can even post requests. Most Freecycle communities have their own setsof rules, but I have found wonderful things on there not limited to clothing but also furniture, household goods, and so on.

Ask local churches. Some churches offer vouchers for local thrift stores as well as hold their own clothing closets and drives. This is a great place to start as well to find out about local resources.

Check with the Salvation Army. When I was needing help with clothing, I went to the Salvation Army. Since many of them run thrift stores, they will often give you vouchers to use in their stores up to a certain dollar amount.

Resell your family’s outgrown clothes for cash to buy more. If you check out Craigslist, you will probably also see that there is a lot of clothes selling going on. Many people sell their clothing or their children’s clothing in ‘lots’ for extra cash to buy more clothing. If you have good, quality clothes, this is a great way to get new clothing as well without the hassle of making an appointment for a consignment shop or holding a yard sale.

Check with charities for interview and work clothes. Two specific nationwide charities exist for clothing for the workforce. They help you get clothes for a job when you first start as well as outfits to wear to interviews. For men, check with Career Gear. For women, check with Dress for Success.

Do a little Googling. If you type in “Free Clothes + the name of your city” you will usually come up with local resources pretty easily.