Peak Women Is Hosting an MCHS Clothing Drive This September
At Peak Women, we talk a lot about strength. Yes, that means getting physically stronger, but we believe strength shows up in plenty of other ways, too. It's women supporting women, neighbors supporting neighbors, and a community coming together when there's an opportunity to help.
That's why throughout September, we're hosting a clothing drive for MCHS Family of Services, a Michigan human services agency that has spent more than a century supporting children, families, and older adults.
We're collecting everyday clothing and shoes specifically for young men in MCHS's Residential and Independent Living programs, and we're asking our Peak Women community to help us stock their closets!
Who Will the MCHS Clothing Drive Support?
The clothing collected during the drive will go to young men participating in the Residential and Independent Living programs at MCHS Family Services.
The young people served range from middle and high school students to young adults who are taking steps toward greater independence.
That range is important because it also helps explain why MCHS is looking for such a wide variety of everyday clothing.
These young men need clothes for regular life: going to school, getting a job, spending time in their community, relaxing at home, and beginning to navigate adulthood more independently.
MCHS sums up the drive's purpose in four words: Style. Confidence. Independence. Opportunity.
Those are things we can absolutely get behind.
Why Something as Simple as Clothing Matters
It's easy to take a stocked closet for granted.
Think about how many different situations you dress for during an average week. You need something comfortable to sleep in, clothes to wear around the house, an outfit for work or school, sneakers to get you where you're going, and the basic essentials you reach for every morning.
Having those things available can provide more than convenience.
MCHS says donations to this drive are meant to help these young men look and feel their best for whatever comes next, whether that's heading to school, starting a job, or taking their next steps toward independence.
That's why this drive isn't asking for specialty items or anything complicated. MCHS is looking for the everyday basics young men can actually wear and use.
And that's where all of us can help.
Who Is MCHS Family of Services?
The clothing drive is just one small part of the work MCHS Family of Services does throughout Michigan.
MCHS is a human services agency that has been supporting Michigan communities for more than a century. Today, the organization provides programs and services in Child Welfare, Housing, Community Services, Mental Health, Residential Treatment, and Education, serving children, families, and older adults statewide.
And their reach is significant. In 2024 alone, MCHS reports serving children, families, and older adults in 64 of Michigan's 83 counties. The organization also provided more than 2,000 hours of mental health care to 100 individuals across its family of services and helped mentor more than 400 children through its Foster Grandparent Program.
For this particular clothing drive, we're supporting young men participating in MCHS's Residential and Independent Living programs. They range from middle and high school students to young adults working toward greater independence.
That's what makes this drive especially meaningful to us at Peak Women. These aren't simply clothes being collected to fill a closet. They're everyday essentials that can support young people as they go to school, prepare for employment, and take important steps toward adulthood.
MCHS describes the goal of the clothing drive with four words that really stuck with us: “Style. Confidence. Independence. Opportunity.”
We think that's something worth coming together for.
What Clothing Does MCHS Need?
MCHS is requesting men's clothing in adult sizes S through XXL and men's shoes in sizes 7 through 12.
Their current list of needed items includes:
T-shirts
Long-sleeve shirts
Hoodies
Basketball shorts
Joggers
Sweatpants
Casual pants and khakis
Pajama pants and sleepwear
Underwear and briefs
Socks
Sneakers
Slides and Crocs
If you're wondering what to contribute, think comfortable, practical, and versatile.
A hoodie can be worn to school. A pair of khakis can help someone put together an outfit for a new job. Sweatpants and basketball shorts provide comfortable everyday options. Socks and underwear are basic necessities everyone needs.
You don't need to fill an entire closet yourself. If everyone contributes what they can, those individual donations can quickly add up to a much larger collection.
An Easy Way to Get the Whole Family Involved
A clothing drive can also be a great opportunity to get your family involved in giving back.
If you have older kids or teenagers, consider going through closets together and talking about the drive. Or, the next time you're shopping, let your child choose a hoodie, T-shirt, pair of sweatpants, or another item to contribute.
Giving back doesn't always have to involve a huge commitment. Sometimes it's simply seeing a need in your community and deciding that you can help meet it.
Those small acts add up.
How to Participate in the Peak Women Clothing Drive
We're collecting items throughout the month of September at Peak Women in Troy.
If you're already coming in for a training session, bring your donation with you. Grab a package of socks during your next Target run. Add a T-shirt or pair of joggers to your cart. See what you already have available to contribute.
Then bring it with you to Peak Women.
Our goal is to make participating as simple as possible so that our community can come together and send MCHS a meaningful collection at the end of the drive.
Strength Is More Than Muscle
Peak Women was built around the idea that women deserve a space where they can feel supported.
We train together, encourage each other, celebrate progress, and remind one another that self-care matters. That sense of community doesn't have to stop when we walk out the gym doors.
Strength is more than muscle.
It's also having the confidence to take your next step. It's having people in your corner. And sometimes, it's recognizing that you have an opportunity to make someone else's next step a little easier.
This September, we're proud to support the young men in MCHS Family Services' Residential and Independent Living programs, and we'd love to see our Peak Women community rally around them.
Bring your men's clothing and shoe donations to Peak Women throughout September and help us stock their closets with style, confidence, independence, and opportunity.
