Great Places to Donate Clothes for People in Need in Rochester
If you've gone through your closet and found clothes, accessories, or shoes that you just don't wear anymore, or that don't fit you right, it's time to get a pile together and donate those unwanted clothes to people in need in our area!
There are quite a few places around Rochester, Minnesota that take used clothing donations and get them to people who need them.
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I gathered a list of places where you can donate your clothes, so it's easier the next time you've got that pile going (like I do right now). None of these places are ones that you donate to, and then they sell the clothes. All of these places give the clothes to people who may not be able to afford them otherwise.
It's important to check each location's website and/or call them to see what they are accepting. There are plenty of places that won't take certain donations (like out-of-season donations) because they just don't have the space to store them all.
Places to Donate Clothes to People in Need in Rochester, MN
The Dorothy Day Hospitality House is a temporary place for anyone experiencing homelessness. They are located in downtown Rochester. In addition to clothing donations, they also take toiletries donations like soap and towels. You can find more specifics on their website.
The Landing is also located in downtown Rochester for people experiencing homelessness. They take seasonal donations since they only have so much space to store items. Check their website for the latest on what they need most.
As of writing this, they're most in need of jeans (waist size 28-36), hoodies (size Large-3XL), and mens non-white underwear (new, size Medium-XL).
Olmsted County Foster Care Closet
The only information I can find for the Olmsted County Foster Care Closet is through a Facebook group that's private. However, what I've been reading elsewhere is that they take donations for foster care families and kids in the foster care program. If you're interested, I'd suggest joining their Facebook group for more details.
Rochester Community Warming Center
The Rochester Community Warming Center gives people experiencing homelessness a warm place to sleep. They accept donations for the cold weather like coats, hats, gloves, and boots, as well as under layers like long sleeves, sweatshirts, and jeans. They also take toiletries, paper goods, and food items.
Schools in our area
Schools in the Rochester area, including the Rochester Alternative Learning Center, will take donations to help school-aged kids in need. If you're interested in donating to a particular school, reach out to them to see if they'll accept the donation and to find out where you can drop it off.
Women's Shelter and Support Center
The Women's Shelter and Support Center helps women who are victims of domestic violence (and their pets). They keep their 'needs list' updated online with the items they're low on and what they're taking as donations.
*As of right now, they don't accept used clothing because of storage limitations. However, I wanted to keep them on this list in case that ever changes and in case you have new clothes that you're looking to donate.
Workforce Development is in the Rochester Community and Technical College's Heinz Center. They take donations of gently worn business clothing. That clothing is then given to people who need the clothes for job interviews. I've dropped off donations here before and it's very easy.
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