Donating Clothes

i don't know of anything in those neighborhoods. housing works is a well-run organization that has thrift shops, proceeds are used for aids-related programs. there is one in Chelsea.

http://www.housingworks.org/locations/detail/chelsea-thrift-shop/

i used to donate to the Memorial Sloan Kettering thrift shop on the UES.

there is an organization, but the name escapes me, that provides work clothes for needy women looking for jobs, if you have such clothing.

I usually donate to the Spence Chapin thrift shop. Some of the proceeds go towards adoption and pregnancy planning programs. As a suggestion, why not call the Jewish Guild for the Blind on West 57th Street. They have many worthwhile programs and can probably direct you to a Jewish organization which accepts donations.

Apparently their offices have been relocated to 15 West 65th Street and telephone number is (212) 769-6200.

You might want to consider Goodwill.

I think the organization is called Dress for Success and website is dressforsuccess.org.

The thing you might want to consider is people you know. E.g., my housekeeper has an unlimited appetite for our used clothing. If she or her family can't use it, some extended family member here or back home can. Then, there's the issue of my used clothes which are sometimes in such poor condition that no one (including me) should be wearing them. Those get used as rags, get sewn into sacks, etc.

If you go that route, you have the downside of not screwing Uncle Sam come April 15, but the upside of knowing that the clothes will actually be used by people semi-connected to yourself.

Freecycle. I've gotten rid of tons of things this way. No tax receipt. But I feel better
giving away kid-related stuff this way instead of Goodwill.

"Dress for Success"

I'm sure this is a fine organization that does fine things with the suit program and beyond, however the name always makes me snicker. In my world, "success" is when you don't have to wear a suit to work. But I guess for many, a suit is a step up on the way to hopefully being able to get rid of the suit.

Anything that we want to give away (clothes, books, home goods, etc), we give to Housing Works. UWS location is on Columbus Ave between 74th/75th. I believe all proceeds go to homeless individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

lobster, thanks, i was having an elder moment. uwsmom, how dowtowncentric of me to have not even noticed the uws housing works location.

I suspect that you're much too young to be having a senior moment, aboutready. I think that I saw something on the news recently about the Dress for Success place.

excellent experience with housing works and many of the people working there are finding their bqck to the workforce- so it's double good karma.
dress for succes and bottomless closet- both good but very specific in whst they will take: interview clothing an in perfect (i mean PERFECT) condition,
i have also used ovarian cancer research- they pick up.

Dress for Success can be annoying, though--they have limited drop-off days and items must be professionally cleaned before donation. They also seem to prefer only larger sizes (10 and up) and won't,if i remember correctly, give you a receipt when you drop off, instead mailing it to you later, presumably to check that your clothing meets regs. Too much of a pain in the ass for me, sorry.

I just bring my things to Salvation Army or Goodwill. There's also a good thrift store (but it's for a church) on 96th bet B'way and Amsterdam that treats donations very kindly. I hate places that just junk stuff or where it's clear the workers abscond with the best items.

Thanks everyone, very helpful. I will follow up on several of the suggestions.

Goodwill.

dress for success - is this one of luann delesseps charities?

glamma - it's a charity which helps people looking for jobs, who do not have other resources, get clothing suitable for a job interview.

thanks, i have some suits to donate

The reason Dress For Success prefers larger sizes is demographic. If you consider the variation in body size between the typical NYC female professional and a large segment of the welfare-to-work population, it becomes apparent that the "pefect size 6" so sought after in the former group is largely useless for the latter. I applaud DFS for being honest about their needs.

Liz, I can see that you and I think alike in many areas. I had the same thoughts about the sizing requested by Dress for Success.

We work with DFS and Bottomless closet and both great concepts doing something terrific. I wish they would partner with dry cleaner/tailor to help with a missing button pressing ect. Also with another charity that offers day to day clothing once someone does have a job. I had a few suits and tons of nice skirts, sweaters, pants that would be great once someone is in!!! finding a place to donate that was a challenge.

Funny, I for years I had a size 8 wardrobe hanging around (in my mother's apartment because mine had no storage) under the increasingly distant illusion I would again fit into it. My mother, always the pragmatistic, kept telling me to give it up. Then came 9/11. Since St Vincent's was supposedly getting a influx of wounded who might need clean clothes (alas there really weren't that many wounded, most people were killed or escaped), her neighbors were taking a collection of clothes over there and that's when my mother took the initative to just give them my stuff. She knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to separate me from fanasties of thinesss without provoking trauma. That most horrible of days forced people to forget their stupid shit for at least a brief period.

Try City Opera Thrift Shop - they pick up clothes for your apartment with only 1-2 weeks notice. They also take used furniture, but are somewhat picky as to what furniture they will take. Salvation Army does good work but I am not a fan of their politics - they are a little too "christian right wing" for me.

If you don't care about getting a tax receipt, I find Freecycle to be very useful in terms of directing clothes towards end users. I am short, and all my stuff is hemmed so I always get a bunch of shorties responding to my Freecycle ads.

tax receipts for clothes no longer really work. The IRS knows that used clothes have no money value.
If you really want the clothes to go to people who need them, box them up and send them to South Dakota Indian reservations.

They work, plady. The issue is that people deduct way too much for clothing donation. I spoke to a young man who thought that his underwear was worth retail price on his tax return.

Off-topic, I'm a huge Fcycle fan. I've even given away leftover (on the same day) food from parties.

ok, ok, they work ---- but can't civilization as we know it draw the line on calculating value of used underwear? I ask you. Used clothing should be given away, yes. But then it should never be discussed again.