Corner of University Center 142 is home to countless shelves of trendy and timeless fashion. Clothes are patiently hung on racks, waiting for students to hand pick and put them on. Professional suits, sports coats, graphic tees, workout clothes and more are all neatly organized and easily accessible. Mixed.

The Care Closet is a college resource that provides free clothing to all students regardless of their financial situation. NKU’s Clothing Resources is part of the parent organization of Care His Closet in Newport, Kentucky. The chapter helped the university launch the program in 2021, said Health Innovation Director Carolyn Noe.

The Care Closet idea blossomed within the Institute for Health Innovation after the introduction of FUEL NKU, a free food pantry for NKU students. Noe is impressed by the mission behind FUEL. That suggested that if food insecurity was an issue, finding affordable clothing would likely be an issue as well.

“If students don’t meet their basic food needs, it probably means they can’t buy clothes, or at least a lot of clothes that can accompany something like an internship.” says Noe. she said.

Prior to Care Closet’s launch, Noe researched similar resources at other universities. She found that many organizations had a like-minded mission, but their resource supply was inadequate. In fact, she felt that being restricted to one or two items was not enough.

The Care Closet doesn’t have a limit on the number of items visitors can bring home, but coordinator Peyton Anderson says they typically have between 10 and 20 items of clothing, two to three pairs of shoes, and a backpack or briefs. Case. These items allow for a mix of both professional and casual wear as the space always remains around 50% of both categories.

Noe recognizes that college is an expensive venture for all students. They endure a never-ending cycle of tuition, housing, and food prices that won’t go down anytime soon. It deserves to feel like

Anderson recalled her own concerns about getting basic necessities, let alone new clothes.

“When I was in college, we didn’t have a care closet here at NKU. How can you afford to buy clothes? I think there’s a lot of this natural shame, so I think places like Care Closet and FUEL NKU offer a sort of normalization of those needs,” Anderson said.

The organization works closely with LGBTQ+ services to provide a safe place for students to come and choose clothing that suits their bodies and tastes. Organizations understand that the cost of purchasing a new wardrobe that matches their identity can be overwhelming for college students.

Students with children or families to care for can also receive clothing for those individuals. Needs not met by the current supply of care closets are met by the Newport chapter, which specializes in helping children and needy families.

Matthew Waits, Assistant Coordinator of Care Closet, noted the privacy and discretionary nature of the space. He encouraged all students to check out the resource without a second thought. He feels that men on campus are an untapped demographic for care closets.

“If you come here, I’m the only one who will know you came here. I don’t remember their faces,” Waite said.

NKU student Steve Halpin proves the value of a care closet back in college at age 50. Halpin made a point of turning his life around after being released from prison, becoming a Christian, securing his job, and earning a college degree. Returning to college was an overwhelming experience for Halpin at first, but he soon found the resources he needed to succeed.

Halpin remembers walking into the University Center in search of a learning center and chanced upon a care closet. Since then, he has visited the resource at least three times, finding new items each time. For his catering company job, he needs a white dress shirt, black pants, black tie, and shoes that he has collected from the care closet.

For Halpin, the friendliness of staff members like Waits influenced his college experience. He encouraged his students not to cheat themselves out of a valuable resource and left a message for students struggling to receive the Care Closet gratuity.

“I want to tell them not to be ashamed to come here because they always have an opportunity to give back when they get back on their feet,” Halpin said.

Waits also noted that clothing shortages are an unforeseen problem for Care Closets. This organization receives an influx of new clothing items daily. This could be from the Newport chapter, or select donations from faculty, staff, and some students. There are too many but not enough.

Anderson reassured students that even if they weren’t financially destitute, they might be able to get help getting in.

“Just like FUEL receives constant rations from Kroger, so do we. Take everything. I always tell my students the moment they are done shopping.I will restock whatever you have taken.

Students can choose how they visit the Care Closet. Walk-in hours are weekdays and reservations are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Students wishing to book simply visit the organization’s website, fill out a simple booking request form, and show up at their scheduled time. The request form asks basic questions such as the student’s size, preferred fashion style, and purpose of the reservation. You can find additional clothing from the Newport organization at

Waits talks about the personal fulfillment that comes from serving students, especially in special situations where the resources they provide are truly life-changing. If you’re thinking about what a care he closet is, there’s no better time, says Waits. If you’re hesitant to take advantage of this resource, please bring a donation.