Donate Clothing

Together, we’re reusing and recycling more than 300,000 pounds of apparel and supporting hundreds of neighbors in need each year

What to Donate

We appreciate your donations of women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, shoes, and accessories in good or better wearable condition. Our clients need clothing, shoes, and accessories for all kinds of activities including work, school, casual and dressy events, sports, and more. Anything our clients cannot use is either recycled or sold wholesale to support our work.

We accept:

  • Clothing from any era, in any size, for any age or gender
  • Footwear including shoes, sandals, sneakers, and boots
  • Outerwear including all kinds of coats and jackets
  • Bathing suits, workout clothing, athletic wear
  • Wearable accessories, including belts, hats, scarfs, gloves, and more
  • Purses and bags
  • Costume jewelry
  • Aprons

We cannot accept donations of anything that is not listed above. If you’d like to donate funds, here’s how »

Most needed items:

  • Men’s clothing – all types and sizes
  • Women’s clothing, especially larger sizes
  • Footwear in good condition for both men and women

Click here for donation bin locations and public clothing drives (when scheduled).

How to Donate

  • Please donate clothing at our outdoor bins or a public clothing drive.
  • We cannot accept clothing donations at our office or warehouse – both are very small shared spaces.
  • Place your clothing, shoes, and accessories in a small- or medium-sized bag (no hangers and no boxes, please). The opening in our donation bins is approximately 3′ x 2′.
  • Please do not leave donations or trash outside of our clothing donation bins. If your donation will not fit through the opening, empty the contents into the bin and take the container with you. If the bin is full (rare, but sometimes unavoidable during the busiest times of the year), please come back another time, or visit one of our other locations.
  • Don’t drop anything into the bin that you intend to keep. Hold your keys, wallet, phone, etc. in your other hand, or better yet, in a pocket or bag.
  • Please send your donation check separately – do not include it with your clothing donation. Same with coins!
  • Second Chances has extremely limited ability to pick up donations, so we prioritize corporate and community clothing drives that can contribute 350 pounds or more and are within a 30 minute drive of our Cambridge warehouse. We appreciate your generosity and encourage you to drop off your donations at our donation bins or a public clothing drive.

Thank you.

Where to Donate

Public Clothing Drives

We’re grateful to local organizations and businesses for supporting our community by hosting public clothing drives.

Please donate at our donation locations below.

Donation Locations

Thank you for donating at one of our donation bins! This is the quickest way to get clothing to folks in our community.

Our donation bins are operating according to the schedule (if applicable) noted with each location. Publicly accessible bins are emptied three to four times per week. If you are able to donate on a weekday, we really appreciate it and it will be picked up quickly! If a bin is full, please wait to donate another time or at another location. Do not leave donations outside the bins. Thank you for your generosity and support.

Whole Foods Market, Arlington
808 Massachusetts Avenue | Arlington, Massachusetts | Map »
Early October 2024: Donation bin has been moved to the far corner of the parking lot. It’s the upper right corner if the building is on your left.

Arlington Reuse & Recycling Center – residents only
33 Ryder Street | Arlington, Massachusetts | Map »
For Arlington residents only. Our donation bin inside the recycling center can be accessed during recycling events. Visit the Reuse & Recycling Center website for dates, times, and more information about Arlington recycling events.

Museum of Science
Inside the parking garage at One Science Park | Boston, Massachusetts | Map »

To donate: Turn into the driveway at the Museum of Science. The parking garage is immediately on your right. Enter the garage and take a ticket, go through the gate and immediately head right along the wall that is parallel to McGrath Highway (stay on the ground level, do not head up the ramp). Our donation bin is about halfway down on the right side. You have 30 minutes to exit the garage without paying. You will need to insert your ticket in the machine to leave the garage.

Garage hours: Sunday to Thursday: 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. | Friday and Saturday: 5:30 a.m. to midnight

Fresh Pond, Danehy Park parking lot, near the dog park
162 New Street | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Map »
Donation bin is in the parking lot on the left side, near the entrance.Hours: Generally, the parking lot gates are open from dawn to dusk, every day.

Elevate, Cambridge Crossing – residents only
Inside One Leighton Street | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Map »
For Elevate residents only. The concierge can show you to the loading dock area where the donation bin is located.

TAB parking lot, West Somerville
169 Holland Street | Somerville, Massachusetts | Map »
Donation bin is near the exit, to the left of the attendant’s booth.

Tufts University Campus
101 Talbot Avenue | Medford, Massachusetts | Map »
Donation bin is all the way to the back of the driveway to the left of the office/house – it has been moved slightly because of construction. This location is very close to the Medford/Somerville line.

Donation Bin Hosts Wanted

Want to host one of our clothing donation bins at your location? We are looking for locations for donation bins in Somerville, Cambridge, and communities bordering Somerville and Cambridge.

Hosting a Clothing Drive?

Let us know!
We can help with tips for success, marketing support, a webpage, posters, and more.