In an effort to bring regional attention to an often-overlooked hardship, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan officially proclaimed September 15 as Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day. The municipal observance served as a call to action across the city, prompting local charitable organizations, corporate partners, and volunteers to unite in addressing the fundamental need for wearable, appropriate apparel among vulnerable populations.
Marking the newly designated awareness day, Presbyterian Social Ministries, Inc. spearheaded a major volunteer mobilization at its central warehouse facility located in Jacksonville’s Murray Hill neighborhood. The event brought together community members and dedicated corporate teams to process, inspect, and organize substantial quantities of donated apparel intended for regional distribution.
Among the primary participants assisting with warehouse operations was the Kindness Crew from Community First Credit Union. The team of employee volunteers spent the day sorting through large volumes of incoming garments, preparing quality inventory for delivery, and directly supporting the infrastructure necessary to distribute essential clothing throughout the region.
The citywide initiative brought vital focus to clothing insecurity, a widespread issue that significantly impacts many Northeast Florida residents. The lack of basic apparel touches multiple segments of the population, including school-aged children, older adults, military veterans, and individuals facing severe financial crises or experiencing homelessness.
Operating at the core of these relief efforts is Presbyterian Social Ministries’ specialized initiative, the Clothing with Purpose program. Through this initiative, the organization functions as a centralized supply hub, distributing quality apparel completely free of charge to a network comprising more than 100 partner nonprofit organizations located across the region.
By removing the cost barrier for apparel, the initiative ensures that recipients can access clothing needed to attend school, pursue job interviews, maintain workplace employment, and safeguard their personal health. Organizers emphasize that obtaining proper attire is directly tied to preserving self-respect, restoring human dignity, and helping individuals navigate challenging life transitions.
Presbyterian Social Ministries has maintained a dedicated presence in the community for over two decades. Established in 2004 and operating in affiliation with the Presbytery of St. Augustine, the faith-based organization oversees an array of community-focused supportive initiatives across Northeast Florida, addressing systemic hardships through targeted resource distribution.
In addition to its clothing distribution network, the organization operates other critical support efforts, including Home Safe. This comprehensive supportive housing initiative is designed to provide stability and direct assistance to 60 chronically homeless families throughout the Jacksonville area, pairing shelter solutions with long-term care.
The scope of the organization’s apparel operations has seen substantial recent expansion. Throughout 2025, the Clothing with Purpose program distributed a total of 218,497 individual clothing items, directly assisting 31,214 individuals through its extensive nonprofit partner network across the region.
Alongside its humanitarian outreach, the organization maintains a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. Over the course of 2025, the Clothing with Purpose initiative successfully diverted 22,414 pounds of unwearable textiles and materials into recycling streams, preventing approximately 10 tons of waste from entering local municipal landfills.
Neil Claasen, the director of logistics for Presbyterian Social Ministries, noted that effectively meeting regional demand requires a sophisticated operational framework. Claasen explained that while clothing represents an absolute daily necessity, simply gathering donations is insufficient without comprehensive sorting, inventory management, and distribution systems to move goods where they are needed most.
According to Claasen, the central warehouse manages rigorous quality control and inventory tracking so that frontline nonprofit partners have uninterrupted access to dependable, high-grade apparel. By handling these intensive logistics, the program frees partner charities to dedicate their own staffing and financial resources toward their core missions, while ensuring clients receive clothing that boosts confidence and fosters dignity.
The program’s ongoing operations are sustained by steady corporate partnerships and high-volume donations of both brand-new and gently used garments. Several prominent retail and manufacturing brands contribute inventory to the warehouse, including Bombas, Victoria’s Secret, SanMar, Natural Life, and Kid to Kid.
Teri Ketchum, the chief executive officer of Presbyterian Social Ministries, highlighted that clean and protective clothing remains just as fundamental to human survival as food and shelter. Ketchum stated that clean, weather-appropriate garments are indispensable for participating in society, noting that support from corporate allies such as the Community First Cares Foundation allows the ministry to bridge the divide between abundance and need.
Ketchum also expressed appreciation for the broader coalition of private donors, foundations, and volunteers whose time and investments sustain the supply chain. She emphasized that collective community engagement directly reinforces the capacity of the Clothing with Purpose program and bolsters the dozens of partner agencies serving Northeast Florida.
Corporate leadership echoed the necessity of active community involvement. Sam Inman, the president and chief executive officer of Community First Credit Union, emphasized that community organizations must move beyond simply acknowledging hardship to taking tangible, compassionate action. Inman praised the credit union's Kindness Crew volunteers for their hands-on work at the warehouse to help provide local residents with the clothing, dignity, and confidence necessary to move forward.
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