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If your drawers are overflowing and your closets are in chaos, it might be time to consider donating to Kidney Clothes.
We will turn your used clothing donation into much needed funds for kidney research and educational programs that help fight kidney disease and support people in our community.
We invite you to donate all clothing (from the socks on your feet to the hat on your head!) and cloth-based items such as footwear, outerwear and linens. We also accept small household goods like kitchenware, knickknacks, games and toys, tools, sportswear and more.
Kidney Clothes also partners with local schools, community groups, and other charitable organizations to make holding a clothing drive and raising funds for your group and The Kidney Foundation easy! For more information contact corporate@kidneyclothes.ca.
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Kidney Clothes News
Making donation bin safety a priority in our community
(Jan. 10, 2019)
Kidney Clothes is extremely saddened to learn of the recent deaths of two individuals in separate incidents involving clothing donation bins. Although the bins belonged to another charity, these tragedies have had a profound impact on all of us. Kidney Clothes is honoured to be a part of the communities we serve and we are doing everything possible to prevent any similar tragedies from occurring.
We have consulted with the manufacturer of our bins and are diligently working on modifying those bins to remove any mechanisms that could create a safety hazard from accidental misuse of the bins. Additional warning labels are also being added.
Only a small percentage of Kidney Clothes’ donations are collected through bins, as most of our donations are through household pickups and partnerships with other community organizations and charities. These unfortunate accidents, however, have brought safety issues to the forefront of our industry and all of us at Kidney Clothes want to reaffirm our commitment to serving our communities in the safest manner possible. Kidney Clothes will continue to work with our stakeholders, as well as the manufacturer of our bins, to ensure that we are able to continue to collect donations to help support Canadians living with kidney disease while keeping people safe in the communities we are so proud to be a part of.
Kidney Clothes teams up with the Region of Peel for Clothing Collection
(August 22, 2018)
Every year, North Americans throw away tonnes of clothing and textiles, clogging landfills with reusable goods. In fact, clothing and textiles represents one of the most common material found in the Peel Region waste system.
To make it easier to reuse or recycle unwanted clothing, Peel Region is partnering with Kidney Clothes to pilot curb side pickup at selected homes. Homeowners in the selected pilot area will receive one clear bag in advance of the pickup on September 19th and 20th to make donations a breeze.
The average North American throws away 81lbs. of clothing annually. Collecting this clothing and other textiles for repurposing will help the Region reach its goal of diverting waste from landfills. Ninety-five percent of clothing thrown away can be reused or repurposed, making a significant impact on the environment.
Since 2012, Kidney Clothes has been diverting textiles and repurposing them into funds to support people in the region and across Canada living with kidney disease. Last year, over 12 million pounds of clothing and household goods were repurposed to provide hope and support for the 1 in 10 Canadians who live with kidney disease.
Meet Ron, Toronto Operations Manager
Ron has been a member of the Kidney Clothes family since December 2016. He enjoys working at Kidney Clothes as our Toronto Operations Manager and spreading the word about the important work Kidney Clothes does. The organization raises funds to help The Kidney Foundation assist the 1 in 10 Canadians living with diseases. At the same time, Ron emphasizes Kidney Clothes’ significant role in keeping textiles out of landfills and helping the environment. His favourite part of the job is “working with a great strong team and seeing what we do make a difference when we work together.”
Ron is a self-taught screen printer and when he’s not at the office you can find him putting his talent to good use making things like T-shirts and custom vinyl decals. Ron is very close to his family and has even been voted the title of “Best Uncle in the World” by his four nieces!
He is a big sports fan and enjoys Toronto sports in all its forms - Leafs, Jays, Raptors and TFC. He often takes road trips to support his teams when they are out of town.
At the office Ron works tirelessly to make sure Kidney Clothes is operating at peak performance. No job is too big or too small, and he even helps out when needed scheduling donations and fielding questions. The strangest question he ever received was, “Can I donate my husband, will you accept him?”
Ron makes sure we are providing Kidney Clothes donors with the best possible experience while raising funds to support people in the community living with kidney disease. Kidney Clothes is lucky to have Ron as part of our team! Thanks Ron!
Meet Michael Linley, a kidney transplant recipient and member of the Kidney Clothes Sault Ste. Marie team.
No one is ever prepared to learn they have kidney disease. Michael was only 17 when a routine checkup revealed trace amounts of protein in his urine. That finding eventually led to a diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy or Berger’s Disease, a type of kidney disease. Over the next five years, Michael’s kidney function slowly but steadily declined. He was forced to start dialysis when he was 22 years old.
While on dialysis, Michael’s life was put on hold. He says that while the physical side effects of the disease are tough, his biggest struggle was dealing with the mental stress. He describes friends and people around him as “living life regularly, buying houses, getting engaged, having babies, travelling, and here I was stuck spending a good amount of time at the hospital or at home because I was too sick to go anywhere.” He says, “the feeling of living without moving forward” was one of the hardest things to deal with.
Along with his healthcare team, Michael began searching for a potential kidney donor. His mother asked to be the first tested. Michael says, “Her instinct to take care of her family is beyond comprehension and her heart is one of the biggest.”
It took many tests, including checking blood types, tissue types, and even the size of the new kidney to see if it would fit properly to confirm that his mother was a match. After a year and a half of living on dialysis, Michael got a long-awaited phone call. They had a transplant date!
On June 21 2017, Michael received his new kidney. The transplant was a success and both he and his mother are now feeling great. One of the most exciting aspects of life post-transplant for Michael is knowing that he will be able to get back to playing hockey and “enjoy the sport I love again.”
As a member of the Kidney Clothes team in Sault Ste. Marie, Michael spends time visiting local elementary schools to share his story with students and help educate them about both kidney disease and the work of Kidney Clothes, which collects used clothing and textiles to help raise funds to assist the 1 in 10 Canadians living with kidney disease.
Michael is looking forward to a better future and he has some advice for other’s living with kidney disease. “You’re not alone fighting this fight,” he says. “Do your best to surround yourself in positivity and motivation. Get out there and be active as best as you can. Don’t let your mind make you afraid of the “what if’s” and most importantly, live like you aren’t even sick.”
He adds, “Never let your kidney disease define you as an individual. You live with it, not under it.”
Kidney Clothes Salutes Fundraising Partners
We think we have the most amazing fundraising partners. Last fall, we encouraged our not-for-profit partners to host a clothing drive and share a brief video about their experience. The results were amazing, and we are pleased to share two of the winning entries. Congratulations!
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Kidney Clothes is a trust that raises funds in support of The Kidney Foundation of Canada.