Rainbowyouth Launches Community Wardrobe

In a new initiative aimed at supporting gender diverse and queer young people, RainbowYOUTH has launched the Community Wardrobe at the back of their Karangahape Road drop-in centre. The wardrobe works by collecting clothing donations from the community, that are then sorted into the wardrobe and available for young queer and trans* people to try on in a safe and affirming place and take home for free.

Funding from youth sector support organisation Ara Taiohi help kick off the wardrobe which involved materials to renovate a storage shed at the back of the RainbowYOUTH drop-in centre to include shelves, lighting, a coat of paint & clothing racks.

Over the past 3 months, volunteers have been hard at work to get the wardrobe ready in time for an opening to coincide with the Auckland Pride Festival with Westlake Girls’ College running a clothing drive at the end of 2014 to generate a huge amount of clothes to fill the wardrobe. With the support of the K R’d Business Association, the wardrobe was launched and officially opened on the 14th of February and is now open for public use.

“We have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of volunteers who have helped make this dream possible,” says Aych McArdle, Education Director at RainbowYOUTH.

“Often both money and stigma are barriers to accessing identity affirming clothing for our young people. We wanted to create a safe space where our rangatahi could get what they need and for it to be a really positive experience."

RY will be taking donations later on in the year (they have more than enough to launch) of quality clothing, shoes, accessories and chest garments (binders/bras).

ENDS.

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