If someone you meet today needs clothing, and that someone has no money,
where will you send them?

Good question.  When ten people are asked, five say they don’t know, another five think that maybe one church or another has a clothing closet.  In our community there needs to be an answer to that question that serves the interests of the whole community and that EVERYONE knows about.

Enter Middletown’s Community Clothing Program (MCCP):

  • St. Vincent de Paul Middletown (SVDM) will act as a bank for clothing vouchers issued by Goodwill Industries of Southern Connecticut (Goodwill).

  • Once monthly, Goodwill will send SVDM vouchers for free clothing based on earmarked donations received the previous month.

  • Any non-profit or other social service agency serving our community can request vouchers for an immediate client need by phone or email which can be picked up same day or mailed same day.

  • Persons/families needing clothing will be treated to a dignified retail shopping experience in which they make their own selections.

  • SELECTION will be the best possible.

  • SAVINGS: Community clothing closets will no longer have to maintain staff for guest hours, receiving, sorting, cleaning and storage of clothing.

  • NO CASH CHANGES HANDS. Clothing is managed by a successful and professional non-profit organization (Goodwill).  Vouchers can be used to purchase clothing or small household items.

  • FOR THIS PROGRAM TO WORK, agencies, members of the faith community, individuals and businesses must actively promote the donation of clothing, shoes and textiles to Goodwill USING A SPECIFIC DONATION CARD which identifies SVDM as the beneficiary agency of record (cards now available!).

  • Only those agencies willing to distribute donation cards are eligible to request vouchers.

  • If an individual or family is not actively working with a social service agency, they can be referred directly to (SVDM). We will interview the individual to see if the need for clothing might be an indicator for a deeper issue that we can potentially assist with: medical, mental health or addiction service, food assistance, housing, transportation, employment or other.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Request as many donation cards as you would like from SVDM. They will be mailed to you. Donations presented to Goodwill without a donation card will not generate vouchers. Only one card per visit is needed at Goodwill. There is no receipt.
  2. Write on the front of the donation card, the number of bags or boxes in your donation. Light household items are accepted in addition to clean clothing, textiles and shoes.
  3. Hand the card to a Goodwill attendant before you leave.  You might have to knock!

The MCCP is yet another example of what our community can do together to solve a real problem – the consistent availability of clothing for those in need.  Won’t you please join us?  Email Peter, Clothing Program Coordinator at SVDM for your supply of donation cards. Vouchers are available today to community partners!

Peter@SVDMiddletown.org