Latest news with #clothingdonation
ABC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Nurse Keith Donnelly opens communal wardrobe for hospital mental health patients
When Troy Cavanaugh was admitted to hospital a few years ago, all he had was the clothes on his back and a small bag of essentials. The Maroubra local, who lives with bipolar disorder, was seeking treatment for his mental health and found himself with a limited rotation of clothing. That was until his nurse, Keith Donnelly, showed him through a boutique walk-in wardrobe in a section of the Prince of Wales Hospital with clothing for him to not only peruse but to call his own. "The selection was good and basically you could browse, pick what you liked and what fitted," Mr Cavanaugh said. Mr Cavanaugh said that without "Keith's Closet", he would have been stuck with the limited clothes he came in with. "If I didn't have visitors or other means of getting clothes … I'd be wearing soiled clothes around," he said. "The feeling when you pick something you like and can wear can make you feel better. "That's why the closet is so brilliant." Mr Donnelly said he repeatedly saw mental health patients lack basic necessities while working at hospitals in both Ireland and Australia. So in 2019, after emigrating to Sydney, he set out to renovate an unused area of the Prince of Wales Hospital into Keith's Closet. The idea was to provide patients, at any point during their stay, with new and high-end second-hand clothing, toiletries and accessories free of charge in the hope it would make them look and feel good. "The hardest part really was trying to locate a space, which was a seclusion room," Mr Donnelly said. "But it was nice to transform that space into something really positive." The 51-year-old said at first he would source clothing from either his or his wife's wardrobes, but now the public had jumped on board. "[We get] donations from either Joe or Mary off the street, from sports shops. Clothing companies have also dropped off end-of-season stock," Mr Donnelly said. This week, inside Shellharbour Hospital on the New South Wales south coast, Mr Donnelly and Health Minister Ryan Park shared a warm embrace as they unveiled the latest instalment of Keith's Closet. What was once an office space at the entrance to the hospital's mental health ward now features rows of stocked shelves, mirrors, and hand-painted affirmations. Mr Donnelly said that, since 2019, the program had expanded, with closets at two Sydney hospitals as well as a mobile van service. He said all donations were sorted by volunteers at a facility in Alexandria. Mr Park announced $185,000 in funding for the not-for-profit closet last year to help expand its operations after learning of Mr Donnelly's work at a community cabinet meeting. "This, for me, is probably some of the best $185,000 we'll ever spend as a government," he said. "What Keith Donnelly has done here is added another layer of support for those people. "It will be a service that I know I'll be donating to, so if anyone wants an old suit from a politician, I'm sure it'll be the last thing that gets borrowed or picked up." Mr Donnelly said he planned to unveil facilities at the Malabar Forensic Hospital and Lismore Base Hospital in the coming weeks.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wright Center prepares for upcoming Community Closet
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — With local needs on the rise, the Wright Center is preparing to host its Third Community Closet event this week in Luzerne County. People can pick out donated children's or adult-sized clothing for free on Wednesday afternoon. It's a growing necessity since the Keystone Mission just across the street announced it will close its doors due to a lack of money. Thousands of pierogies being made for church picnic For anyone interested in donating items, we have the information on how to do so on 28 22 news dot com The 'Community closet' event runs from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Found Dead After Being Reported ‘Stuck' Inside a Pink Clothing Donation Drop Box
A woman was found dead — 'stuck' in a clothing donation drop box — in Plantation, Fla., on June 27, 2025 Police said "it looks like this incident is an accident' The woman reportedly was homeless and may have died by asphyxiation while attempting to retrieve items from the boxFlorida police were sent to investigate a report of someone trapped inside a clothing donation drop box, but what they found was much worse. In the morning of Friday, June 27, police officers in Plantation, Fla. arrived at the donation bin on the 8300 block of West Federated Roadway after someone reported a 'person stuck' inside of it, according to the Plantation Police Department (PPD). A teacher who works near the box made the discovery around 6:45 a.m. local time, per NBC Miami. When PPD officers arrived at the roadside box — a large, pink container labeled 'clothes & shoes donation center' in all capital letters, per footage shared by CBS Miami — they realized the person was dead. The deceased was found 'partially stuck in the donation box,' per PPD. It is not immediately clear whether the woman's death was intentional or accidental, but authorities are leaning toward the latter. 'At this time,' the PPD said, 'it looks like this incident is an accident, but our detective bureau is conducting a full investigation.' The woman has not yet been identified, with the PPD stating that her name 'will be released at a later time, pending notification of the next of kin.' The PPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, June 28. NBC Miami and Fox affiliate WSVN reported that the woman was middle-aged and homeless, adding that she may have died by asphyxiation while attempting to retrieve items from the box. An official cause of death has not yet been been released. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'I've dropped clothes off in that bin, and the opening is super small,' a woman who works near the drop box told CBS Miami. 'It's kind of like at the post office when you put a package in, so I can't imagine anyone being able to get in there.' 'It's sad that someone was just trying to get some new clothes,' she added. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman found dead after getting stuck in Plantation clothing drop box
A woman was found dead in Plantation early Friday morning after she got stuck partially inside of a clothing donation box, police said. Officers were sent to the 8300 block of West Federated Roadway, near the Broward Mall, shortly before 7 a.m., where the woman was 'lodged in a donation box,' Plantation Police spokesperson Officer Chavez Grant said. They determined she was dead. The woman's name had not been released as of Friday evening. Officers believe her death was an accident, though they are investigating, the police department said. This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
