Well Cloth'd
Jan 3, 2020 / Photo: Courtesy of the Well Cloth’d team
Leetah McGee and Jenne Richardson were cleaning out McGee’s closet in 2017, and were surprised by the amount of good quality clothing they were preparing to donate. They also figured that there were plenty of other people out there who had perfectly good clothes they wanted to donate—but didn’t know where. So, they decided create a resource that would connect communities in need with people looking to give away good clothing.
“I have a passion for service and Leetah found herself called to fashion so it felt very natural to marry the two to create an organization that would reflect our interests and provided a needed service to our community,” Richardson explained.
That same fall, the pair hosted their first "Bagging Brunch,” in which they turned an event space into a boutique filled with donated clothing for people in need to have at no cost. Following the success of the event, they decided to continue their efforts, and welcome Richardson’s sister Marien onto the founding team.
Their organization, Well Cloth’d has since evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to “take the mystery out of donating.” By collecting donated items through social media, pick up services and drop-off sites, the Black-women founded enterprise helps in-need customers get the items they actually need.
“Unlike many other donation sites, we hand pick the items that make their way into our care packages to ensure that the items are not only top quality but that they match the needs and wants of the person receiving them,” Richardson explained. “For instance, we have mothers who tell us they are ready to start interviewing for jobs so we source corporate wear, or gentlemen who tells us they need more lounge clothing and we equip them with sweat-suits and sneakers. We also try to send clothing for each season to mothers of small children that the child can grow into.”
By offering their many resources for donating, the Well Cloth’d team also hopes to keep as much clothing as possible out of landfills.
“We know that each year thousands of tons of clothing find their way into landfills around the world and it is our mission to circumvent as much as that as possible through intentional matching of item with recipients,” Richardson said.
In the new year, the team is looking to secure a permanent space to hold their donations. They also want to expand their offerings to include wellness seminars and various job and personal development trainings for men, women, and children.
More information — including how to donate to their efforts — can be found on Well Cloth’d’s website.
