Put your new and gently used clothing to good use.
At St. Francis House, we are proud to be the largest day shelter in Boston, offering critical services to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. One of the most sought-after services we provide is our clothing program, which is unique in the greater Boston area as the only free clothing distributor for adults. Last year alone, over 2,800 guests came to us for fresh, clean clothes—help that restores dignity and hope.
Your clothing donations are essential to making this possible, whether you donate as an individual or organize a clothing drive with your neighborhood group, church, or workplace. Your generosity directly supports the thousands of people who rely on us during their most challenging times.
However, our ability to serve so many depends on receiving the right kinds of donations. Items we cannot use—whether due to condition, type, or quantity—require time and money to sort and dispose of, resources we need to dedicate to helping our guests. For this reason, we kindly ask that you carefully review our guidelines before donating. By focusing your generosity on the items we truly need, you can ensure your donation has the greatest possible impact.
Thank you for your compassion and commitment to helping our community. Together, we can bring warmth, comfort, and dignity to those who need it most. Please read the guidelines below to learn how you can contribute effectively.
Items We Cannot Accept
While we deeply appreciate your kindness and desire to help, there are certain items we are unable to use in our clothing program. Accepting these items requires us to allocate valuable resources—such as storage space, staff time, and transportation costs—to sort, store, and transfer them to other organizations. These efforts divert attention from meeting the immediate and critical needs of our guests.
To ensure your generosity has the maximum impact, we kindly ask that you avoid bringing the following items:
- Bedding or linens
- Towels
- Suitcases
- Hangers
- Children’s clothing
- Costumes
- Pajamas, sleepwear
- Household items (kitchenware, small appliances, furniture, rugs, carpets)
- Books
- Damaged or discolored items
- Used socks, underwear, undergarments
Donation Items Needed!
For Fresh Threads – everyday clothing for men and women
New or gently used only …
- Jeans, sweatpants
- Winter jackets
- Hoodies, fleeces, sweatshirts
- Sneakers, boots, winter boots
- Belts
- Winter hats, gloves, scarves
- New only socks and underwear
For Studio Shine – professional interview attire for men and women
New or gently used only …
- Men’s dress shirts & polos
- Men’s dress pants
- Men’s suits
Important Update: Studio Shine is currently only accepting Men’s dress clothing in XL sizes and up.
Donate items from our Amazon Wish List
How to Sort and Pack Your Donation
Please sort clean clothes by the following categories to assist our staff:
- Fresh Threads or Studio Shine
- Men’s or Women’s
- Tops or Bottoms
- Footwear (pack separately from clothes)
Pack categories in 13 to 20-gallon trash bags, tie up the bags and label clearly.
How to Get Your Donation to St. Francis House
Drop-Off Donations:
- Drop-offs are only received on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8 AM and 2 PM at 39 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 (Downtown Boston, NOT Jamaica Plain). There is no need to specify what day or time you are dropping off as long as it happens on the days and times above.
- Upon arrival, park on the right side of Boylston Street, call 617-654-1297, and provide your car’s model and color. A staff member will assist with unloading.
- Pick-ups are available only for 6 or more 13- to 20-gallon trash bags. To coordinate a pick-up, contact our Clothing Program at: clothingprogram@stfrancishouse.org or 617-457-1090. ** Please allow us at least 72 hours to return your call. **
Mail donations to:
St. Francis House
c/o Clothing Program
39 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Thank you very much for supporting our mission!
