In our first ever Free Clothing Program “People’s Mass Clothing Giveaway” we pulled up to KC Central Library with an entire UHaul full of new and gently used clothing that we had received just days before.
We had only posted the event on our social media platforms two days ahead of time so we didn’t know what to expect. By the time we arrived, hundreds of people—families, Black and brown folks, unhoused individuals, and housed community members in need—were already there, waiting for the event to start.
Nourishing Body & Soul – In addition to distributing winter clothing like jackets, coats, socks, gloves, hand warmers, and items for children and adults, we partnered with our friends at District Fish & Pasta to provide over 250 FREE meals (catfish, mac and cheese, greens).
- They packaged every meal and brought them to the library
Within an hour of the event starting so many people heard about it that we could no longer operate out of the library and our team literally had to begin distributing directly out of our U-Haul truck.
Victory for the People
By the end of the night, we had given out nearly everything we brought—over 750 clothing items!
Amid the sea of people, something extraordinary stood out: community in its purest form. Some folks arrived holding printed copies of our flyer, carefully folded and clutched in their hands. They told us they’d seen it online, printed it out, and some passed it around to their neighbors, determined not to let anyone miss the chance to prepare for winter.
And then there were the kids—a little brother and sister, no older than eight or nine, who jumped in to help without hesitation once we began distributing from the truck. Their small hands moved quickly, gathering jackets, scarves, and mittens—not just for themselves, but for their family. Watching them work, so full of care and determination, was one of the most beautiful acts of solidarity I’ve witnessed. It was a reminder that even in the face of hardship, our people—young and old—show up for one another in ways that systems never will.
A Lesson We Can Learn From Mutual Aid
The stakes of this work are life and death. I’ll never forget what happened to Scott Eicke, an unhoused Black man who froze to death on our city’s streets when the temperature dropped on January 1st, 2021.
We often talk about the violence of homicides, but so rarely do we speak of the violence of neglect.
The image and thought of it still haunts me to this day. The idea that our city has an over $2 billion budget, and that we live in the richest country in the world, yet, so many people, children and families face life and death situations in the winter, is unconscionable.
I mention that because this work is personal to all of us.
And that’s why our mutual aid programs are more than survival—they are resistance. When we organize for each other, we build power outside their systems.
When we feed, clothe, and care for our people, we show that a new world, outside the hyper-individualistic capitalist system, is in fact possible. One that is immensely more loving, communal, and empathetic.
I want to sincerely thank all of you who donated clothing to make The Defender’s Free Clothing Program possible.
Whether you donated clothing, contributed funds, or simply shared the flyer: YOU made this happen. This is people power in action. And this is how we build the world we deserve.
