Donated clothes making a difference in Sudbury

Sudbury Closet Share, a relatively new non-profit operating in the city, is helping the community in many different ways.

Services include supplying families with free clothes and other community non-profits, clothing for those in need and keeping used clothing out of landfills.

Closet Share also recycles every donation that comes from the community.

After arriving in Sudbury a year ago, Majid Nassor volunteered at Closet Share and is currently doing an internship.

He wanted to give back to the non-profit that helped him.

“When we came here, we didn’t have any clothes -- most of our clothes were stolen at the airport in Africa,” Nassor said.

“When we came here it was super cold for us because are from a tropical country. Closet Share helped us with clothes – like, right now, the clothes I am wearing.”

Closet Share accepts clothing donations and offers them free online, supplying many non-profits in the community that help people in need.

Melissa Porter came up with the concept and launched it in 2022.

“Closet Share is a local non-profit organization,” Porter said.

“We take in clothing donations and then we wash and sort them and then they go onto our website. So, everything is being modernized on our website in two different tiers, where everybody has access to free clothing items or brand name items for a very low cost.”

Porter said the clothing that is sold helps pay their operating costs. Because of the volume of clothes, she said washing machines and dryers at Closet Share wear out very quickly.

Old washers and dryers

“They are just old washers and dryers so if anybody had any that they want to donate we will always accept those,” Porter said.

“It’s really important to us to (prevent) the textiles from ending up in our landfills by recycling and repurposing everything.”

She said March of Dimes volunteers are the heartbeat of the organization as the need for free clothing is increasing in the community.

“It was just really important to me to make sure that everybody had access to it, including kids, teenagers, and parents for that matter,” Porter said.

“That everybody had access to clothing -- it’s a need, it’s not a want.”

Closet Share is located in the basement of the old Diocese building on Ste. Anne Road but the only access is at 162 MacKenzie Street.

For anyone who may be doing spring cleaning, there is a donation bin located at the front doors.