Clothing with a Cause: How Our Community Came Together for Books, Biodiversity, and a Better Planet

Over the past few weeks, I had the incredible opportunity to host a clothing drive that brought people together across Long Island to support two nonprofit organizations doing amazing work: ReWild Long Island and The Book Fairies. What started as a simple call for donations turned into a meaningful project that combined environmental sustainability, literacy advocacy, and community spirit.

The YICG-GVLP community has actively supported ReWild Long Island through volunteering, planting native species, and organizing fundraising initiatives. This continued involvement has played a crucial role in advancing ReWild Long Island’s mission to restore local ecosystems and promote sustainable practices.

ReWild Long Island is dedicated to protecting and restoring the health, biodiversity, and resilience of Long Island’s ecosystems. They do this by promoting sustainable landscaping practices, especially through the use of native plants. Their work helps our local environment thrive—and I’m proud to support their efforts.

The Book Fairies holds a special place in my heart. They are the largest book donation organization in the Tri-State area, working to spark a love of reading in children. They collect and distribute new and gently used books to kids living in under-resourced communities across Long Island, New York City, and even internationally. Their mission is simple but powerful: give every child the opportunity to read and learn.

With that in mind, I launched a clothing drive across Long Island, asking friends, families, neighbors, and local community members to donate gently used clothes. The goal was to both reduce textile waste and raise money for these two incredible causes.

The response was beyond anything I expected. After weeks of collecting, I had gathered around 150 bags of clothing. It was a proud and humbling moment to see just how much our community was willing to give.

At the end of the drive, a company called Carecycle visited my home with a truck and a large weighing scale. They carefully weighed each bag to determine the total weight, which directly influenced the amount of money raised. Based on the total pounds of clothing, I was able to raise over $500, which I will be donating to ReWild Long Island and The Book Fairies.

What made this even more special was the eco-friendly impact. By recycling and repurposing clothes, we kept hundreds of pounds of textiles out of landfills—a small but meaningful step in helping to save our planet.

Throughout this process, I was constantly reminded of how much people care when given the chance to make a difference. One donor told me, “I’m so happy these clothes are going to do some good. We all have more than we need—it feels good to give back.” That really stayed with me.

This clothing drive taught me that we all have the power to do something meaningful, no matter how small it might seem. Whether it’s donating a coat, sharing a book, or planting a native flower, every action counts.

To everyone who donated, supported, and spread the word—thank you. This was your victory too.

Let’s keep working together to make Long Island greener, kinder, and more connected.