Clothing

The River offers a small selection of free clothing to clients. Clients are invited to shop in our clothing room once a month. The clothing room is open either by appointment only on Wednesdays from 9-11 am OR, starting Sept. 17, 2026, on a first-come-first served basis every Thursday from noon to 2 pm, during The River Café Community Meal.

This program is only open to registered clients of The River. If you or someone you know is not currently registered and wants to shop the clothing room, please fill out a client registration form before coming to shop or signing up for an appointment. Thank you!

The clothing room is located inside The River Food Pantry (3301 Packers Ave in Madison). Please enter through the main entrance from our parking lot. 

Wednesdays: Shop by Appointment

Shop by appointment only on Wednesdays from 9-11 am. To ensure a pleasant shopping experience, we will limit the flow of people into the space at any one time. To shop, please sign up for a time slot in advance.

Sign-ups for each week will open on Friday at 5 pm and close on Monday at 8 am. Before Wednesday, you will receive a confirmation email from The River’s Partner and Clothing Coordinator, Amanda. Please only sign up for one time slot each day. Those who have limited internet can call 608-665-0237 to get signed up for the week.

Thursdays: First Come, First Served (Starting Sept. 17th)

There is no prior sign up for clothing on Thursdays. Clients may shop on a first come, first served basis from noon to 2 p.m.  

A volunteer will be available to greet and check-in shopping clients. Please let them know you would like to shop for clothing, and they will explain the process. 

To ensure a pleasant shopping experience, we will limit the flow of people into the space at any one time. 18 slots will be available on a first come first served basis. We will give you 20 minutes to shop and give you a number. When your number is called, please make your way to the clothing room and check in with a volunteer. 

Please note: clients may only shop once per month total.

SCHEDULE:

Starting September 1, 2026, we will accept clothing and houseware donations. 

A few friendly reminders before donating to us: 

• Please wash your items prior to donating. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to wash clothing. 

• Please only donate clothing that you or your family would wear. We want to give away clothing that makes people feel confident and are in good condition. 

• Do not leave donations outside the donation bin or facility – items left outside of our office hours can be damaged by weather and cannot be used. 

• If you have questions before you donate to us, contact Amanda at amanda@riverfoodpantry.org. 

• Anytime we reach storage capacity, clothing and houseware items may be shared with other nonprofit partners who serve people in our community.  

Things to consider when donating: 

• No used undergarments (i.e., no bras, underwear and socks)

• No dirty or damaged shoes, please only gently used or new shoes

• No stained or tobacco smoke residue

• No items covered in animal hair

• No holes

• No alcohol logos/references

• No inappropriate graphics/sayings

• No crop tops

• No costumes

• No “out of season” clothing (i.e., no Spring/Summer clothing during Fall/Winter months)

Items accepted year-round: 

• New, still in the package underwear 

• New, still in the package socks 

• New/gently used in season, men’s, women’s, kid and baby clothes 

Household items that are accepted: 

• New or gently used bed sheets 

• New or gently used towels 

• New or gently used blankets 

• New or gently used kitchen items such as dishes, glassware, pots, and pans. Please no knifes 

• New or gently used bathroom accessories  

Household items that are not accepted: 

• No used pillows

• No children’s car seats, highchairs, cribs/bassinets or other baby products

• No medical equipment

• No knifes or weapons

• No small or large appliances

• No electronics 

While we appreciate your donations, the items listed below do not meet our guidelines and we cannot accept them. We must dispose of these items when they are donated and unfortunately add to our costs.