Valley Outreach

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Clothing Sorters: Volunteers Move Mountains

Getting high-quality clothes to shoppers.

Every year Valley Outreach receives hundreds of thousands of clothing items. Each item must be inspected for quality before it is put on a rack in StyleXchange, our thrift shop. Let’s hear from a few of the volunteers who take the mountains of clothing donations and get them to where they need to go – into the hands of shoppers.

What the sorting experts say

Recently, Patricia, Carol, Judy and Luanne, shared why they volunteer at Valley Outreach and offered some helpful hints to get your clothing donations out to people in need faster.

Why do you volunteer at Valley Outreach as a Clothing Sorter?

  • The volunteer shift times are convenient and you have flexibility in being able to sign up for available shifts.
  • As a regular volunteer, you develop friendships with other volunteers.
  • It’s also fun to see items be saved from the landfill (or the back of someone’s closet) and given new life for use by another person.
  • It can also be a good opportunity to get some volunteer work experience for a resume.
  • The Valley Outreach staff and other volunteers make you feel appreciated. (Note from staff: We are EXTREMELY grateful for the support of all our volunteers. They are critical to Valley Outreach serving about 800 families per week across all of our programs!)

What are some tips you have for clothing donors?

  • Donate clothes that have been recently washed. Freshly laundered clothes help our shoppers have a better experience when they find the perfect item.
  • Sort the clothing according to size in smaller, labeled bags. (See our mountain of donations – 10 smaller bags sure beats 2 giant garbage bags for moving clothing from our donation bins!)
  • Please only donate things that are ready to wear (e.g., no tears, stains, etc.) If you wouldn’t give it to a friend or wear it yourself, feel free to dispose of it instead of donating.
  • No used bras or used underwear. Please. Ever.

Support StyleXchange at Valley Outreach

Interested in becoming a clothing sorter volunteer to help us move mountains of clothes from our donation bins to StyleXchange? Sign up to become a volunteer.

Learn more about clothing donations and what we’re currently most in need of on our website.