It’s not often you’d be encouraged to walk out the door with as many clothes as you can carry, but that’s exactly what a bunch of Tauranga community workers are doing.

Staff at the Welcome Bay Community Centre, which offers a range of wellbeing programmes and activities, have been organising a weekly event for the community to pick up clothing for free. But why?

“With the rising cost of living, some people are struggling to afford the basics,” says Welcome Bay Community Centre peer support kaimahi Anna Drysdale.

“We’re open to anyone and everyone, and we genuinely don’t mind if people take boxes or bags full of clothes. There are always more donations coming in daily.”

The weekly event, which has been running for several years but is starting to gain popularity, happens 9.30am-1pm every Wednesday.

Anna says volunteers spread hundreds of items of men, women and children’s clothing out on tables at the centre in the hope they’ll be taken by those most in need.

“There’s no judgment and no questions asked. We’d love to see hundreds come through the door with their used clothing and then take some home in exchange.”

Anna says another driver of the event is to reduce fashion waste “and keep as much usable clothing as possible out of the landfill”.

Now word is getting out - and the centre is seeing more new faces and bodies to clothe. “We’re now getting mentioned at mum-and-baby groups, so more young mothers are coming in for free baby clothes.

“Kids grow so fast - so, the hope is that when they’re not needed any more, the parents donate them back to us for others to use.”

Anna says the group accepts clean clothing with no large stains or damage.

“All we ask is that donated clothing is in a tidy condition and already washed because we don’t have laundry facilities on site.”

She says the community centre team has a big job to sort, lay out, pack up and then store the clothing each week. “We always say yes to volunteers and of course, any donations from any part of the Bay of Plenty are always gratefully accepted.”

Welcome Bay Community Centre’s free clothing event is 9.30am-1pm every Wednesday. For more information, phone 07 544 9774 or email: communitycentre@welcomebay.org.nz