ClothingWorks Keeps Thousands In Need Warm Ahead Of Winter
What started as a piloted coat donation drive to help people stay warm through the Canadian winter has evolved into a multi-city operation responding to a steadily rising community need.
In 2020, Goodwill’s ClothingWorks program in London piloted a coat drive, making use of the charity’s effective and convenient donation system to collect specific items. ClothingWorks already does this to support job seekers with professional apparel as part of Goodwill’s mission, and found ways to tweak the existing model to increase community impact.
Carol McIntyre, ClothingWorks Supervisor, decided to pilot the program when she observed an escalating need in the community for cold weather clothing. She was receiving calls from Employment agencies, and newcomer support agencies, asking for coats for their clients who were job searching or new to Canada and needed to be warm. .
The pilot proved successful, and over the last five years it’s grown into a robust operation and event series in multiple communities – both Windsor and St. Thomas (in partnership with the YWCA of St. Thomas-Elgin) were added to the program in 2023.
How does it work? Through circularity – a core concept at the heart of what Goodwill does. Generous community members and local businesses donate new or gently used winter coats, hats, scarves, etc. to their local Goodwill Donation Centre. These donations are transported to a sorting facility where they are assessed for quality and prepared for distribution. The mass amounts of collected items are given to community members at public giveaway events. Anyone can access what they need for free – no questions asked.
Leftover coats and accessories are donated to local shelters to maximize community impact. Any donations that don’t meet the drive’s criteria, like blankets or winter gear, are given to community partner St. Vincent De Paul (SVDP) to distribute at street-level giveaways hosted outside Goodwill Industries.
In addition, many of the hats, mittens, and other winter accessories are knit specifically for ClothingWorks by a community group called the “Yarnies.” This passionate group of knitters gathers at Goodwill’s own Edgar & Joe’s Café to connect and create winter accessories with repurposed and unsold yarn from Goodwill’s retail stores, bringing its mission full circle.
Who fuels this mission? “The Winter Coat Drive is propelled by our team of dedicated volunteers who give their time and experience to every step of the project. This would not be possible without them,” says McIntyre.
ClothingWorks volunteers and partners like the YWCA, SVDP, and volunteers from RBC support promotion, community outreach, sorting, and distribution. Every item is assessed to ensure there are proper functioning zippers and buttons, and then items are cleaned, and categorized. And at the giveaway events, it’s volunteers who help people find the right items and keep the lines moving.
While the success of the program is celebrated, ClothingWorks is seeing an alarming increase in need across London, Windsor and St. Thomas. In 2024, the program gave out over 9,900 winter coats and items to more than 1,500 people. The demand doubled this year with more than 3,800 people attending giveaways, receiving nearly 12,500 coats and accessories.
“The line ups get longer and busier every year and the demographics of the people we see are changing. It’s not just individuals who may be facing a winter without housing, but people and whole families who are struggling to afford winter clothing, many of them newcomers,” McIntyre explains. With changes in the economy and labour market, the effects can be seen at the community outreach events.
ClothingWorks is observing positive trends in donations year over year, but it may not be enough. “The quality and volume of our donations are increasing, but we continue to struggle getting enough items for both men and children.” The team is thrilled to see the program is working but will need to find more donors and supporters to meet the demand in years to come.
The first snow hasn’t fallen yet, but Goodwill’s ClothingWorks is already looking ahead to next year, evolving and enhancing the program with a focus on changing lives and strengthening communities.