Gifts for the Homeless, Inc., a non-profit, all-volunteer organization supported by the city’s legal community to help the homeless, will be holding is annual Used Clothing Drive on the weekend of November 30-December 2 at the Portals III, 1201 D Street, S.W.
During last year’s clothing drive, more than 400 volunteers sorted, bagged, and delivered over 4000 bags of gently-used clothing to 63 area shelters, soup kitchens, transitional homes and other service organizations. The volunteers came primarily from more than 70 DC area law firms and other organizations, most of which conducted clothing drives at their organizations and then brought the clothing to the GFTH clothing drive site.
GFTH also solicits monetary donations, which it uses to purchase and distribute new clothing for many of the shelters it serves. GFTH buys warm coats, thermal underwear, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, gloves socks, blankets and other essential new clothing—most of which is not donated during the used clothing drive. The new clothing which is purchased is then distributed to approximately 35 shelters throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area.
“Local shelters tell us that their needs are greater than ever, so we’re counting on strong participation this year,” says Bart Epstein, GFTH’s President. “Since the recession began in 2008, homelessness among families in the DC areas has increased nearly 23% according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. We hope that the DC legal community will step up and help out those who are less fortunate.”
Epstein noted that as in the past, the greatest need is for warm clothing for men and children.
GFTH has no paid staff and no overhead, so it uses 100% of the money donated to purchase new clothing items for homeless men, women, and children. All operating costs are donated by participating organizations or GFTH Board members. Since its inception in 1986, GFTH has raised over $3 million—all of which it has used to purchase and distribute new clothing for those most in need.
For more information, please visit the Gifts for the Homeless web site at www.gfth.org. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well!
Media Contacts: Joe Edmondson (202) 215-2410; Jim Villa (703) 309-4960; Larry Williams (703) 625-4202.