The University of Arizona has different programs that provide a variety of resources for students to succeed in and out of the classroom.
Campus Closet is a student-run, non-profit service that collects slightly used or new professional or business clothing for UA students, faculty and staff members who can’t afford it.
Campus Closet started in 2018 with Katie Christopher, a UA Delta Gama student, who needed to have black non-slip shoes as a requirement for a job.
Christopher saw the necessity that many students couldn’t afford proper clothes for UA Eller College of Management events, interviews or any professional workplace that requires professional attire.
Grace Jacobson, Campus Closet executive director, is a UA sophomore student majoring in retail and consumer sciences with a minor in business and fashion. She found out about this service through a girl from her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.
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With the idea of helping out students, Jacobson continued with the program ideals even during the pandemic.
“It’s kind of unfair [the UA] provides all this knowledge to be successful. But in this day and age, if you don’t have the proper attire or the professional look, you essentially can’t get the job even if you have the required skills set in,” Jacobson said.
Campus Closet collects clothes through clothing drives and donation boxes around campus in places like the bookstore, library and Eller College building. According to Jacobson, Campus Closet has collected roughly 400 items which include business, professional and casual clothing.
For the fall semester, there will be five total distributions that will take place every second Thursday from Oct. 1 to Nov. 19 at the Sonora Ballroom in the Student Union Memorial Center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
In order to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, Campus Closet is limiting the capacity of not more than 10 people at the same time. Additionally, fitting rooms will be sanitized after using and the clothing has been steamed to remove any sort of germs.
Campus Closet operates in the same way as the UA Campus Pantry through a points system, where every student has four points to use. For example, a shirt is one point, blazer is two points and pants are one point making it a whole outfit for free.
For the future, Jacobson wants to create a pamphlet that includes examples of business casual and professional outfits for students to use as a guide. Also, Jacobson is planning to have a photographer attend at least one of the distributions to take free professional headshots.
Campus Closet also offers volunteer opportunities for all students on campus that can help in organizing the inventory, sizing and steaming.
There is a permanent donation box at the information desk in the SUMC. For more donation information, contact ua.campuscloset@gmail.com or follow them on Instagram at @ua.campuscloset to keep updated about distributions and volunteer opportunities.
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