University Hospital is ground zero for the most vulnerable members of our community. We are charged to care for every person who walks through our doors, regardless of ability to pay. Our social services team works around the clock in the Emergency Department to assist patients in dire need of food, clothing, and shelter before discharge. Last year, this involved replacing soiled and/or tattered clothing for 3,500 patients.

Our Emergency Clothing Closet, is vital in helping over 3,500 patients each year to preserve their health and dignity in emergency situations. Patients whose clothes are damaged or no longer wearable need new clothes to be safely discharged. In these frigid winter months, it’s crucial that this clothing is weather appropriate, meaning the closet must be stocked with boots, winter jackets, hats, and gloves.

Thanks to this community, we raised $13,000 for the Emergency Clothing Closet! With our closet stocked for the winter months, we can continue to distribute thousands of essential items to patients and community members in need of unsoiled, untattered, and comfortable clothing.

You can learn more about how vital the Emergency Clothing Closet is to our patients in the videos below from Sima, a social worker, and Crystal, social services.