Why don’t we accept used items?

Isn’t something better than nothing?

We are deeply grateful for the community’s desire to support our residents through clothing and linen donations. While we never want to seem ungrateful for the offer of used items, our policy to only accept new fabrics is rooted in two main priorities: stewardship and dignity. Logistically, the manpower required to sort, inspect, and properly sanitize used items often exceeds our team's capacity, given our other areas of focus, and the variables involved in used fabrics make it difficult to ensure a consistent standard of health and safety.

Beyond the logistics, we are committed to a fundamental shift in how we serve those in our care. We believe that someone restarting their life—often arriving with nothing—deserves the dignity of something brand-new, just like anyone else. Instead of providing items that are "good enough," we strive to give our residents something better than what we would even hope to receive for ourselves. By providing new items, we are honoring their journey and offering them the very best as they build a fresh start. We hope you can hear our heart in this policy as we work together to serve our neighbors with excellence.