Clothing Exchange Programs at MoCo Pride Center
MoCo Pride Center facilitates clothing exchange programs with assistance from community partners! Click the menu to the right to learn more about the services we offer, get connected, and request an item.
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In collaboration with Rainbow Youth Alliance (RYA), MoCo Pride Center collects donations for and then distributes gently-used gender affirming wear to LGBTQIA+ youth in Montgomery County. Items that we search for are binders, bras, compression shirts, and things worn underneath most clothing on the top half of the body — but not outerwear like dresses or suits yet! If you’re 18 years or younger looking for affirming clothing you’re unable to get on your own, fill out our form below to request an item!
Occasionally, we have extra stock for this program. If you are OLDER than 18, you can still request items from our program! Just be aware that requests from youth will be filled first.
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Our sewist-in-residence, Sam-Mayes at Mayes Makes, will mend or alter any item of clothing you want to drop off at MoCo Pride Center for FREE! Sam-Mayes teaches 2 sewing classes a month here and picks up your items when they come in. You can expect them returned to you in about 2 weeks. Fill out their information form below to request services and provide a bit more detail about what you’re looking for.
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Rainbow Youth Alliance
RYA supports the community of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, queer, and questioning teens in Montgomery County, MD. Their compassionate staff welcomes 13- to 18-year-olds across the spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities, celebrates neurodiversity, and creates a welcoming and engaging space that encourages youth to return.
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Mayes Makes
The brilliant and generous mind behind Mayes Makes, Sam-Mayes, works with MoCo Pride Center teaching sewing classes! You can also catch them vending at our How Bazaar! monthly makers’ market. Craft, sewing, textile history, they do it all. Click the link below to learn more about their services or request a commission! Don’t forget to check our events calendar and sign up for their classes.
What is the exchange process like?
When a clothing donation for the Gender Affirming Wear Program is dropped off at MoCo Pride Center, we ask the donor (or our staff, if the donor is unable or unavailable) to fill out a special intake form about the item they’re donating. This printed form includes information about the clothing item’s material, size, condition, etc. with a signed certification that the item has been recently cleaned. This form and the clothing item are then sealed in a bag and placed in our donation bins.
When a Gender Affirming Wear item is requested, our staff sort through our available items for an item that matches the request. If we find one, we notify the requester and they can come in for pick-up on their own schedule.
When a Gender Affirming Wear item is picked up, the requester is also asked to fill out a printed form so that we can keep track of who receives services from MoCo Pride Center. This information is optional, anonymous, and not shared with anyone! Then we pass over the item, and all is well :)
For mending and alteration services, drop-off looks very similar: bring in your damaged item, fill out our intake form, seal up your item, and wait to be contacted for pick-up. On pick-up, review the changes made to your item and make sure it’s to your liking!
FAQs
Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions list before filling out any of our request forms!
If you have a question about any of our clothing exchange programs that isn’t reflected here, you can get in touch with our team at hello@mocopridecenter.org. Someone will get back to you as soon as they’re able!
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Our stock changes constantly according to community needs! We prioritize finding binders, sport and regular bras, compression shirts, and other gender-affirming garments. The best way to know what we have is to visit MoCo Pride Center in person at 4805 Edgemoor Lane!
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We’ll take anything you have! Community members have a wide range of needs and wants, and we are always happy to make sure a garment finds a home.
In particular, we especially want to collect gender-affirming clothing like bras, sports bras, compression shirts, binders, chest tape, top surgery shirts with drainage holes, or any other items that help with social transition.
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We do take used items! We prefer things that have been gently-used — would you pick this item up in a thrift store?
For safety reasons, we just ask that all items are washed BEFORE delivering them to MoCo Pride Center.
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We request that all clothing items donated to MoCo Pride Center are washed before donating, but this is an honor system! We encourage anyone receiving an item of clothing from one of our services to ALSO thoroughly wash the item when they get home.
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That’s ok! Many people receiving gender-affirming clothing for the first time don’t know their sizes. At MoCo Pride Center, we stock flexible measuring tapes for you to use in our genderless bathrooms. This way, you can measure yourself for an item before you commit to picking one up.
Because there can be health risks associated with using ill-fitting clothing, we want to make sure that everyone knows their measurements so our staff can select an item from our stocks that fits you best.
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Mending and alterations are usually completed within 2 weeks, but timelines may vary due to the season or complexity of the project. Sometimes it may be even faster!
For items requested as part of the Gender-Affirming Wear program, you can pick up your item as soon as you receive a confirmation email from our staff letting you know an item that suits you is in stock!
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No shoes, sorry! Not a cobbler ;)
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Yes, you have to fill out the form. We do not give donations away on a walk-in basis! This is how we keep track of how many donations we need and how many community members we help! Some questions on our forms are totally optional, and you don’t have to answer those if you don’t want to.
All of our information is kept private and made anonymous — we don’t give identifying information out to anybody. We only ask these questions to get a sense of who makes up our community so we can help you better.
Stay Safe!
When you get an item from MoCo Pride Center or Rainbow Youth Alliance, make sure that it fits correctly.
When you’re sure it fits, learn the following tips to make sure that you are wearing your items safely!
Especially on growing bodies, care is important.
Gender Affirming Wear Request Form
Fill out the form below to request a gender affirming wear item from MoCo Pride Center and Rainbow Youth Alliance! Once your submission is received, our staff will work on locating an item that fits you and seems suitable.
Mending and Alteration Form
Fill out the form below to request sewing assistance from the wonderful Mayes Makes! Once your submission is received, you are welcome to bring in your item at any time for drop-off. A staff member will walk you through the intake process, and then you will receive notification when your item is ready for pick-up again!
Want to make sure these services continue?