RE.UNIQLO: A New Life for UNIQLO Clothing and Down

The impact that the UNIQLO clothing donations make is very valuable and intense and I’ll tell you why. Because there are different services that we provide in the community, we service a wide range of people. Sometimes the donated items are the newest piece of clothing that they have ever had. Many of them just have the clothes on their back so this is an opportunity for them to feel welcome, to feel a sense of community, to feel like they are valued and that they too are able to receive this brilliant piece of clothing. When we do our Race to Feed events, we’re able to distribute the UNIQLO clothes. Clothing is expensive and it does bear a financial burden on families. The RE.UNIQLO program is a continuous service supporting different areas and different people, giving them a sense of community and worth. "

All of these program partners are serving people who are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. We make about eight deliveries of essential items to our partners each week based on their size and their needs. We stay in very close contact with each partner to understand what exactly is needed that week. Last year, we were able to serve over 24,000 people.

Operationally, it’s incredibly helpful to not only receive the donations but to know what’s coming, and the UNIQLO donations allow us to plan ahead and distribute to the shelters accordingly. The real impact is in the stories that we hear from the people we serve and how it improves their life and their journey moving forward. We hear stories about how these items are helping people stay healthy not only physically, but mentally. Our university partners tell us that these donations help their students to stay healthy and go to classes. We recently helped refugee families, which you were essential to. We were able to send Haitian families who were at the Boston Medical Center, now moving into a shelter, a delivery with clothing. UNIQLO has sprung into action and is giving items that are going to be helpful as we move into the colder months, which these families don’t have right now. You are literally keeping people warm with your donations and giving them dignity as they transition into their new life in Boston.

It's not an exaggeration to say that Franciscan Outreach would not exist without our donors and friends. I think it’s important to understand that when a guest comes to our doors, they most often just have the clothes on their back. To be able to come in and choose what they can wear creates such a sense of dignity I cannot even begin to express it. Often times, there’s a very wrong mentality of the poor, that they will wear whatever you give them. That is the wrong mindset. What UNIQLO does for us is provides that choice. These people have been overlooked by society, and by their families, for a variety of reasons. Our guests deserve dignity too, and that’s what UNIQLO has provided for us. The clothing is in great condition and is seasonally appropriate. We are just so grateful for this partnership and all of our donors.

Be more thoughtful and take the time to think about what you’re doing with your clothes after you are done with them. Support the organizations that support us. The fact that UNIQLO is a great partner to us, give them your business. With your business we will be able to continue our mission and work. This partnership makes our guests feel as if people remember them and care about them and want to help them.

The UNIQLO clothes are super helpful for critical needs. Donations are essential to each piece of our program. What I love about the UNIQLO box is that it’s always something different and new. We have so many guests that have so many different needs. For example, if we get a pair of jeans, we can give it to the person who’s been requesting that. With jackets, we’re going to be able to help these people who come in looking for a jacket get access to warmth as the temperatures are getting cooler. It gives the community we serve the ability to be excited about something they own and feel more comfortable and safe.

Clothing is a form of expression and it’s core to being safe. By donating and having people give new life to their clothes, you’re helping people have that sense of safety, expression, and warmth that they may not have otherwise.

The impact is tremendous. It gives a sense of dignity. Everybody should have at least clean clothes. Housing is a human right, but if they can’t have that, at least having access to clothing is really important. I am not of the mindset that just because someone is homeless, they should get second-best. That’s why DESC has housing we are proud of. People should have access to nice things regardless. People having access to UNIQLO clothing gives a sense of dignity, like I said.

At DESC, we want members of a vulnerable population to rise to the highest of their abilities. The best way to do that is by helping them and giving them a chance. We accept members that have been turned away from other organizations. These organizations say, “We can help you but” or “We can help you, BUT you have to get clean or get off this drug.” Sometimes they need to do these things just to survive, so if you give them a chance, maybe the things we want them not to do will happen once they have a place to stay, once they don’t have to worry about being cold at night, once they have clothing that keeps them warm and makes them comfortable. I am very proud that DESC is supporting a population that many people find very challenging to deal with.