Clothing Donation Information

The Stoughton Clothing Center welcomes donations of new and clean, gently used, winter clothing for everyone in the family.

Thank you for considering donating clothes to the Stoughton Clothing Center! We accept donations of new and clean, gently used, in-season clothing in sizes newborn through adult 5XL. are We are currently accepting winter items including jackets, snow pants, boots and gloves.

Your donation of new or gently used clothing can make a real difference in the lives of community members. Providing free clothing to families not only meets immediate needs but also promotes dignity, opportunity, and social connection—all from items you may no longer use!

To help us serve families well, please ensure:

  • All donations are clean and laundered

  • Items are removed from hangers and rummage sale tags

  • Clothing is placed in kitchen-sized plastic bags, plastic tubs or cardboard boxes

Our goal is to offer clean, dignified clothing to those we serve. Items that are stained, have an odor, or are out of style are forwarded to our recycling partners, who repurpose unusable textiles, giving them a second life and keeping them out of landfills.

PLEASE NOTE: Donations can only be accepted during the Clothing Center open hours—and because we are all volunteers, our hours can vary. Please do not leave donations at the Covenant Church Office, outside the Clothing Center, or when volunteers are not present.

 

What Kinds of Clothing to Donate

Help us get clothing to the Clothing Center floor as fast as possible by donating freshly laundered, in-season clothing.

We have very limited space to store out-of-season inventory, and we do NOT have laundry facilities to wash soiled or smelly items.

Our shoppers tend to be looking for “every day” clothing for home, school and work in current styles.

 

October through February
Warm coats, sweaters, soft pants, snow pants/suits, like-new snow boots for kids waterproof gloves & mittens, hats and scarves, soft pants, and fleece. We also accept Halloween costumes and holiday wear.

February through July
Athletic type pants and shorts, swimsuits, tees, light jackets, summer dresses, and soft pants, back to school and spirit wear (Badgers, Packers, Brewers, Stoughton High School, etc.).


Most Requested Items

  • Washable winter jackets, waterproof gloves, snow pants and winter boots.

  • Soft pants (joggers or athletic-type pants) in sizes 2T through adult 4XL

  • Hoodies & Sweaters - Layering items are perfect donations in cooler months such as sweaters, long sleeve shirts, and hoodies.

  • Seasonal Clothing for Kids – many of our shoppers are looking for kid’s clothing including big kids!

  • Baby Clothes - Gently used, stain-free baby clothing for preemies, newborns and infants are very popular with our moms and dads (and grandparents too!)

 

Donation Guidelines

  • WE HAVE VERY LIMITED SPACE. Small donations of a bag or 2 are very much appreciated, and make it easier for our volunteers to process. Advance notice of large donations appreciated.

  • Bring clothing donations in containers such as bags or totes that you don’t need back. We cannot accept loose items or items on hangers. 

  • Remove any garage sale stickers or tags.

  • Recycle rags and unwearable items through a community recycling program.

  • We cannot accept donations outside of our posted hours when a volunteer is not present. Please DO NOT leave clothing donations at the church office, outside the Clothing Center or outside of Covenant Lutheran Church.

Donations We Cannot Accept

We focus on providing people with clean, in-season clothing to meet their most immediate needs. We ONLY accept items that people can wear. Below is a list of items we CAN NOT accept (this is not all-inclusive list):

  • Anything that cannot be worn as clothing

  • Unwearable clothing (torn, stained, smelly, worn through, broken zipper, or missing buttons)

  • Makeup and toiletry samples

  • Used socks & underwear

  • Rags

  • Housewares (picture frames, seasonal decorations, dishes, etc.)

  • Linens (towels, blankets, curtains, pillows, sheets, bedding, etc.)

  • Small or large appliances

  • Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, etc.)

Donations & Gift Cards

Monetary donations or gift cards to Walmart, Kohls, Target and Amazon are always accepted and go a long way to support our mission. So often we have special requests from area schools and other agencies for items such as seasonal-specific clothing in hard-to-find sizes or other particular needs for a child or family. Donations via check can be payable to “Covenant Lutheran Church” and mailed to:

Covenant Lutheran Church
Attn: Stoughton Clothing Center
1525 N. Van Buren St.
Stoughton, WI 53589

 

Shop our Amazon Wish List

We now have an Amazon Wish List with some of these more commonly requested items which will ship directly to our center! Visit our page online >>