Every once in a while, you come across an organization that quietly tucks itself into the heart of a community and makes an impact that feels both gentle and enormous at the same time. For me, The Giving Closet Project is exactly that kind of place. The Giving Closet Project does something especially meaningful here in Northeast Florida: they step into the gap for students facing clothing and hygiene insecurity, needs that often go unseen, but deeply affect a child’s confidence, comfort, and ability to show up at school ready to learn. And they do it with so much dignity.
What They Provide: More Than Just Stuff
Here’s what I didn’t realize until I walked through their Duval Hub for the first time, every single care package is customized for a specific child referred by a school-based professional or social service agency who knows the student personally.
Each child receives:
👖 A full week’s worth of clothing
🧼 A month of hygiene essentials
👟 Shoes, socks, underwear, and seasonal needs
✨ Specialty items when appropriate (sensory-friendly clothing, hair care, uniform pieces, etc.)
But what struck me most wasn’t the sheer volume of need they meet, it was the care behind every detail. The clothing is curated with intention. The hygiene supplies are chosen for age and skin sensitivity. Even the packaging feels personal. It feels like a love letter to kids who deserve the world.
Why It Matters: The Human Side of Insecurity
Clothing insecurity is one of those topics that hides in plain sight. It doesn’t always show up as “no clothes at all.” Sometimes it means, a teen missing school because they only have one uniform shirt; a middle schooler avoiding class after being teased about shoes; A child sharing hygiene products with three siblings because the family budget is stretched thin. Those small things ripple into attendance issues, self-esteem struggles, and even academic barriers. A fresh set of clothing and hygiene supplies can genuinely change a child’s week, and sometimes their whole outlook.
How You Can Help: Volunteer Opportunities That Matter
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a direct, meaningful impact here in Jacksonville, The Giving Closet Project makes it easy. And honestly? Volunteering here is one of the most grounding, hopeful experiences I’ve had.
Here are a few ways to get involved:
Sort & Prep at the Duval Hub: Volunteers help sort clothing, pack hygiene kits, and prepare orders. Every folded T-shirt and paired shoe becomes part of a child’s fresh start.
Host a Donation Drive: Schools, workplaces, scout troops, teams, neighborhoods anyone can host a drive for clothing, hygiene products, socks & underwear, uniform items, or back-to-school basics. These drives supply hundreds of kids at once.
Team or Corporate Volunteer Days: Bring your workplace, class, club, or service group for a hands-on shift. It’s eye-opening, humbling, and incredibly rewarding.
Event Volunteering: From the annual Holiday Giveback to pop-up closets and community events, extra hands mean more smiles.
Volunteering here doesn’t require special skills, just a willingness to show up and help kids feel seen.
Donations: Big Need, Big Impact
If time is tight, donating is just as impactful. The Giving Closet Project always needs:
New or like-new clothing
Shoes
Hygiene items
Teen-preferred styles
Uniforms
Socks & underwear
Seasonal essentials
Financial donations are also huge, they allow the team to fill gaps, restock high-need items, and meet emergency requests quickly. Even $10 can make a difference in a care package.And if you’re a wishlist shopper, they keep an Amazon list updated with their most urgent needs.
What I Hope You Take Away
In a district as large and diverse as Duval County, one thing remains constant: kids need us. They need stability and dignity. They need the kinds of basics that allow them to show up in the world with confidence. The Giving Closet Project is doing that work quietly, compassionately, and effectively, and they’re doing it every single day. If you’ve been looking for a way to give back locally, this is a beautiful place to start.
💙 Learn more, volunteer, or donate at: The Giving Closet Project
And if you’re ever looking for a meaningful experience for your teen, Scout troop, club, or family, spending a few hours volunteering here might be exactly the thing that sparks a new understanding of generosity.
Jillian Gishler is a New Englander at heart. Born in Jacksonville Beach, she grew up in Massachusetts but was beckoned back to Florida by Mickey Mouse for a Disney World Internship. She returned to the beach in 2005 after graduating from Florida State. Ten years ago she opened her handmade & vintage collective shop, Sew Vicious, in Neptune Beach. Jillian raises chickens, is a passionate gardener, a DIYer, a thrift store junkie, a deal loving mama, and has several inspirational travel journals available on Amazon. She leads her daughters’ Girl Scout Troop, teaches sewing at a local Montessori School, and is a Parents Who Lead Alumni. She loves surprising her husband and daughters with mini-vacations around the Sunshine State.
