Meeting Clothing Needs with Dignity

Staff member Kathia Wan Mendizabal checks out a coat for sale at Das Thrift. In addition to selling low cost clothing and goods to support the Community Cupboard food pantry, Das Thrift also works with MEND's social worker to provide free clothes and household items to people who need them.

Here’s one thing many people don’t realize—although most of the budget for MEND’s financial assistance program is spent on rent assistance, vouchers for use at Das Thrift are nevertheless an important part of the mission to meet each need with dignity.

“If people struggle to buy food,” says Das Thrift Manager Catalina Arellano, “They’ll struggle to buy clothes and shoes, too.”

Social worker Liz Hazen administrates MEND’s financial assistance program, including the Das Thrift voucher program. People who need clothing, shoes or household items talk to Liz first. They decide together what items are needed, then Liz calls the thrift store and lets them know that the client is on their way and what items they’re going to be shopping for. This gives clients the opportunity to pick out clothes that fit and fulfill the need they have.

The needs vary depending on the person and the season. People who are unhoused tend to ask for help when the seasons change—a warm coat or waterproof shoes as winter sets in, for example, or a hat or t-shirt as the weather warms in late spring. People who have lost possessions in house fires or floods—much like the flood experienced at Lake Wenatchee in early December 2025—may need replacement bedding or other household items in addition to clothes.

Making sure children especially have what they need is a priority, say Liz and Catalina.

Keeping the Upper Valley Warm

“We want children to be warm,” says Liz.

Liz encourages parents to pick out layers of clothes to help keep their kids warm, regardless of the weather. Catalina works directly with the Cascade School District social worker, who comes in to get winter coats for kids who need them as soon as the snow flies.

Originally, helping people who needed free clothing was something Catalina and her staff took care of. There was also a free clothing closet at the Community Cupboard that shoppers could look through when they came to shop for food. However, as the number of shoppers at the Cupboard grows, so does the need for extra space to keep high-demand items in stock. The closet was recently turned into a storage space for diapers.

However, removing the free clothing closet at the Cupboard does not mean people who need them can’t get access to free clothing. It may even help clients get support in other areas. By talking to the client, Liz can get a better understanding of their situation. She can offer suggestions for other resources they may not have thought about, and may be able to offer other financial assistance, too. She’s also trained to help people who may be in distress—sometimes, part of the meeting involves Liz simply listening to what the client is going through.

Overall, the Das Thrift voucher program is a way for MEND to utilize the resources at its disposal to better fulfill its mission to meet each need with dignity within the Upper Valley community. Das Thrift’s net income is used to support the Community Cupboard, but supplying clothing for free to those who need it allows the thrift store to support the Upper Valley in another important way.

“Liz and Das Thrift staff are happy to help in any way,” says Catalina. “No one should feel ashamed for asking. That’s what we’re there for—to help.”