The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that as of 2023, households in the Philadelphia metropolitan area spend an average of $86,509 a year on housing, food, transportation, and other goods and services. The consumer industry in Philadelphia is thriving.
Even with this, there are still 21.7% of Philadelphians are living below the poverty line. When it comes to finding affordable housing, clothing, food, and transportation, these residents are facing a significant disadvantage in their communities.
Evidently, many residents still struggle with both clothing insecurity and a lack of access to adequate, appropriate goods. Nonprofits like The Wardrobe and One House at a Time are working to bridge this gap, addressing the needs of individuals who can’t afford new clothing, particularly as living costs rise. Their efforts highlight how the global industry’s wealth and employment opportunities have yet to address local clothing insecurity fully, making it a persistent issue in the city.
The Wardrobe is a local non-profit social enterprise focused on combating clothing insecurity.
When talking about clothing insecurity, The Wardrobe focuses on giving people access to clothing for events to special occasions. They have made it a special mission to provide clothes to individuals coming out of incarceration, individuals with medical crises, the LGBTQ+ community, victims of domestic violence, and so many more. Their closet is curated to whatever someone may need, for any time in their life.
The Wardrobe is determined to provide a secure source of clothing that has been well-maintained and is suitable for any need. Their clothing, from casual to workwear, is available for sale but is also free to anyone who qualifies. They have locations across Southeastern Pennsylvania, with a Philadelphia location on 4th and Callow Hill. The Wardrobe even provides resale stores that are available for individuals who can afford clothing to shop at a discounted rate. And even a program called the “Wardrobe Box Program,” which is the closest thing to their online store. Customers can order a box by filling out a style profile and a Wardrobe Box Styler will handpick your curated closet and ship it to your door.
And of course, all the profits go back into the organization’s original mission-
providing accessible clothing for everyone.
The organization was founded by a small group of volunteer women in 1995, and their original mission was to get women into business suits. They were geared more toward women who were just entering the workforce and to provide them with professional affordable clothing. Since then, their original mission has changed, and now is a closet accessible to everyone and has expanded exponentially, serving all genders from all walks of life.
Thanks to the government and outside funders, The Wardrobe can continuously provide clothing to the underprivileged and underserved.
But to put it simply: all their donations come from donors. Everything they receive at their sites is all from people who bring their unwanted wearable items that come straight through the front door. However, at times, their donations come from clothing drives or at times retailers whose clothes are out of season. The Wardrobe works with a recycling partner, so they encourage everyone to donate their clothing even if it is worn out or out of style, so it can be recycled responsibly, which is one of the values the organization holds.
In an interview with Mars Sharrock (he/they), the Program Director for the Wardrobe he stated “We are on track this year to serve about 10,000 people so we are seeing major impacts throughout the region where we are able to get free clothing to anyone who needs it. We focus on a variety of different communities in our region like the LGBTQ community and the trans community by providing gender-affirming underwear, binders, as well as stylists who are trained to work with Trans people, so I think that getting people into clothing that affirms their gender is a huge thing that we do. It is a big passion of ours.”
“Other places we see a lot of impact is the formally justice-involved communities in the region. Folks coming out of incarceration, we are able to get them basic stuff: t-shirts, underwear, sweatpants, things like that once they are released, which is huge!”
They added “Another major group that we work a lot with are refugees. They are a big part of the region; in 2022 we had a big Afghan crisis in the region, and we had a lot of refugees coming into the Philly region and in one day we were able to outreach to over 200 people who were refugees in the region. -It was really awesome to see the community be here for each other.”
Since the organization was first founded in 1995 by volunteers, they now have a mix of both hired volunteer workers and paid staff who work at all their sites. Their volunteer opportunities include helping the paid staff, but also the opportunity to volunteer as a stylist to come into the stores and help with styling customers.
Sharrock got started in this program after working as a case manager. He stated “I remember giving our current executive director a lot of crap when I worked for the recovery reentry program because I was coming out as trans and at the time they only served women. And I was sort of like “Would you serve me?” and “Are there any programs for me?” I was pushing her on that, and a few years later when I applied for this job, I was basically like “If you accept me, we are pushing this forward.” And they were really excited about it because this is where the times were going.”
After this, the Wardrobe started serving everyone, regardless of their gender expression.
The majority of donations come directly from individual donors, many of whom bring their clothing through the front doors after cleaning out their closets. While some contributions are gathered through clothing drives or donated by corporations, and occasionally a retailer may offer items that are out of season, individual donations make up the vast majority. The organization accepts all wearable items, including clothing, shoes, and accessories. However, non-wearable items such as furniture or couches are not accepted.
To ensure sustainability, the organization collaborates with a recycling partner, allowing them to accept and responsibly recycle wearable items that cannot be retained, such as those that are stained, out of style, or no longer in season. Donors are encouraged to bring all wearable items regardless of condition, as these can still contribute to recycling efforts.
The Wardrobe is always hosting a variety of events that impact the community. You can check some of them out on their main website, as well as their volunteer opportunities.
Organizations outside the city of Philadelphia work relentlessly to educate the public on sustainability inside and outside of the fashion industry.
Amanda Lee McCarty from the Clotheshorse podcast is a fashion professional who has worked in the buying department for some of the world’s biggest fashion corporations in the world.
McCarty originally started the podcast in late 2020 to demystify the fashion and merchandising industry.
“Something that always bugged me about working in fashion is that it has this conceit of glamour, and when you are really working in it, it is so unglamorous. The work environments are really difficult, and I wondered: if people would think twice about the things that they buy if they knew the stories behind them” stated McCarty in an over-the-phone interview.
Nevertheless, the podcast has truly evolved into understanding where consumers fall into the realm of capitalism and the impact of overconsumption. McCarty’s message on overconsumption hopes to educate consumers on the evergrowing buyer industry.
However, buying and reselling secondhand clothes isn’t the only way organizations are helping individuals in lower income brackets.
Kate Fay serves as the Executive Director of One House at a Time (OHAAT), a nonprofit organization based in Huntingdon Valley. Originally founded by volunteers, OHAAT focused on delivering furniture donations to families impacted by natural disasters, often referred by the Red Cross.
In 2011, the organization underwent a significant shift in its mission. The Board of Directors recognized that instead of duplicating the work of local furniture donation banks, they could address an overlooked yet critical issue: children’s sleep health. Although families appreciated receiving dining sets and sofas, many children were still left without beds, forced to sleep on the floor. With hygiene concerns limiting bed donations, OHAAT knew they had to take action.
Since then, the mattress program was born. Initially, the program provided about 250 beds annually. By 2023, the program experienced remarkable growth, delivering over 2,107 beds to children in need. The busiest months typically span from September to December, and as of this year, they have already delivered 2,002 beds.
To ensure safety and comfort, each child receives a comprehensive package designed to address common concerns like bed bugs. The package includes a stainless-steel bed frame capable of supporting up to 1,200 pounds and a memory foam mattress, both considered bed bug-resistant.
Additionally, children receive a personalized “bedtime bag” containing a new blanket, pillow, sheet set, handmade quilt, bedtime books, a stuffed animal, a toothbrush, and educational materials on healthy sleep practices, developed by a board member who is also a pediatric sleep specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
The mattresses provided through the program are all new and sourced through partnerships with organizations like Good360, a national nonprofit that connects donated items from companies to nonprofits in need. Many of the mattresses are high-quality donations from Temper-Pedic, offering families a real sense of luxury and comfort. Additionally, the program purchases memory foam mattress pads in bulk from a U.S. supplier.
Books included in the bedtime packages are generally donated and gently used. Volunteers play a key role in conducting quality checks, sorting the books by reading age, and selecting appropriate content to match the interests of the children being served.
Families are often referred to the program through partner organizations, as self-referrals are not permitted. Since the program serves children aged 2 to 20, most referrals are for school-aged children. Families who are not already connected to a referring agency are often encouraged to work with their child’s school to facilitate a referral.
For younger children not yet in school, referrals can come from early childhood providers, pediatricians, or health care providers. Other potential referral partners include after-school programs, local church groups, and community organizations that assist with basic needs, such as food cupboards or therapy services.
When families contact the program, staff members assist them in identifying the most suitable referral pathway, working collaboratively to connect them with an eligible partner organization. This approach ensures that families receive the support they need to access the program.
Fay originally started in this organization right after college. She knew that she wanted to work with nonprofits that shared the same goal as her: helping those who are not being seen.
She stated “It spoke to my interest in social justice and ultimately wanting to help people. And so the early part of my career I worked in the nonprofit housing in the UK, and then we moved to the US in 2015. When I was able to move and find a job here, beds for kids was looking for staff, seamlessly, it arose that they were looking for a new Executive Director at that time so I was able to move into this role and it really just couldn’t of been more perfect in terms of tying up my previous experience with nonprofits elsewhere, but also in that time, I became a mom, and I began to see the benefits of having a good night’s sleep and what that did to both me and my children when they were able to sleep well. It feels like something that is very very impactful, and what I love about this program is that we know that we are offering tangible help to this family from the moment at which we deliver.”
OHAAT has a small but dedicated paid team that ensures projects are seen through. The Executive Director leads the team alongside a full-time referral coordinator and a program officer. These staff members spend the majority of their time working closely with families and referral partners to coordinate and schedule deliveries, a critical function for ensuring the program operates effectively and efficiently.
Volunteers play a significant role in the organization’s success. They help with a wide range of activities, from making deliveries to sorting donations into the warehouse. Groups of volunteers—ranging from Girl Scout troops and corporate teams to groups of friends or students on summer break—often visit the warehouse to assist. Typically, groups of 10–15 people handle detailed tasks such as sorting incoming donations, conducting quality checks, and packing personalized bedtime bags for children. These tasks require attention to detail, as the goal is to create bundles that feel thoughtful and personal, ensuring each child knows someone cares about their experience.
Fay emphasized that “The essence of the program is to provide good quality items that are going to give the child a sense of pride because they are good quality items. But also, that these items are going to last a long time throughout their childhood, hopefully. We don’t just want to provide Band-Aids or ‘quick fix’ solutions, we want to provide long-lasting items that means that this issue is hopefully resolved for the duration of their childhood and beyond.”
“I think that personally and professionally, we know the impact that poor sleep has on us as we try and move through our day. There is not a single system in our body that is affected by the effects of poor sleep and conversely the benefits of a good night’s sleep.”
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