Working Gear deserves your used men's clothes.

Recently I went through my closet and pulled out some work boots I never use and some not-so-badly used dress shirts and slacks. I wondered if there was a place in town where clothing like this could go, sort of like Dress For Success, but for men.

I found Working Gear. Their mission is:

Working Gear Clothing Society was established for the following purposes:

• To assist unemployed men who are in the process of returning to work
• To promote the well being and self-esteem of unemployed men who face barriers in their search for employment

I emailed them and found out that they are open for donations every Saturday from 10am to 3pm. They are located at 87 East Pender Street in Vancouver.

I dropped by this morning and was greeted by two men, who showed me around their small but amazing operation. Their office is full of men's clothing. Suits, shoes, boots, shirts, slacks. All the things a man would need for a job interview, a construction job, or on the job in an office. They told me that they see eight men each Saturday by referral and appointment to get them outfitted.

Whenever I get rid of old clothes, I always wonder if they are going to people who really need them, or to a store who resells them, or to people just looking for a bargain. With Working Gear, I know where my clothes will end up. 

What I had totally forgotten was that they had won the ChangeSomething contest we ran on this site a couple of years back. While I was chatting with the two guys who were there today, they asked me how I knew of them. I was stumped. This is definitely an organization worth supporting, and I'm happy to have rediscovered them.

Here's a map of where you can donate.