In the Austin area, there are several local, national, and even international charities that provide clothing for those who are homeless or below the poverty line. Many of these charities provide for hundreds of thousands of people every year.
The international charities in Austin include Salvation Army and Goodwill. Salvation Army not only provides clothing, but also offers rehabilitation, counseling, and educational daycare. Clothing donations either go directly to those in need, or are sold in the Family Store owned by the charity. All proceeds from the store go into Salvation Army's programs. Goodwill is another well-known international organization. Primarily focused on clothing the homeless and poor, Goodwill depends entirely on donations. Goodwill's mission is to provide clothing in a dignified manner to those in need, and to help those people over barriers that may prevent them from getting a job. Goodwill also needs volunteers to help it run. Goodwill also has a company store, and all the proceeds from the store fund Goodwill's various programs. At all the Goodwill locations, there are over 50 volunteering jobs per day. These charities are the most widely known in the Austin area.
There are many local and national charities in Austin that focus on clothing the less fortunate. Some of these charities are Lisa's H.O.P.E. Chest, Dress for Success, Latina Mami, Coats for Kids, and Arc of the Capital Area. Lisa's H.O.P.E. Chest is a local charity that provides nice work clothes for the poor in a distinguished way, so the shame and embarrassment of being poor is not an issue. Lisa's H.O.P.E. Chest's mission is to give clothing to people for job interviews so they can make a good impression and increase their chances of being hired. Lisa's H.O.P.E. Chest volunteering program asks for the volunteers to help sort clothes, take inventory, answer phone calls, or listen to clients who need to talk someone. Dress for Success is similar to Lisa's H.O.P.E. Chest in many ways, but it is a national organization specializing in women's clothing only, unlike Lisa's H.O.P.E. Chest. Dress for Success provides professional clothing for disadvantaged women applying for a job or going back to work. The charity mostly asks for suits, blouses and dress shoes for a working woman. Dress for Success receives donations and has volunteers sorting clothes, assisting clients with their wardrobe, and organizing the storerooms so the clients can easily find what they need. Dress for Success offers group volunteering opportunities, individual opportunities, and even company opportunities. Latina Mami is a collectively based Austin charity. Its mission is to provide safe, wholesome environment for minority mothers and their children. The charity was born in 2000, and runs entirely off volunteer work. It provides maternity clothes, work clothes and resources for the minority population in Austin. Coats for Kids is a national organization providing coats for children. Its mission is to give every needy child a new coat, not even a 'gently used' one. The charity believes new clothes can have a wonderful impact on self-esteem. Coats for Kids relies on money donations so they can purchase new coats for those in need. In 2008 alone, the charity delivered 7,600 coats across the nation. This year the charity also delivered 2,052 coats to those devastated by the hurricane in Galveston. Donations are requested to range from $20 to $100. The Arc of the Capital Area, or ACA, provides services for the mentally ill. It is a non-profit organization that provides care and clothing for the developmentally challenged. It is a local charity that requires their volunteers to be trained, but also asks for clothing and monetary donations. These are a few of the wonderful charities in the Austin area.