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“The apparel oft proclaims the man”
-Shakespeare (Hamlet)
It is often said that the first impression a person makes on somebody else is the most important impression you can make on them. To that end, having clean, formal, well-fitting clothes, is an important part of making that good impression. Purchasing new clothes can be prohibitively expensive, even with low price options like Temu or Shien. Even then, many of those companies require a shipping address to acquire clothes. A low cost alternative to purchasing new clothes comes in the form of thrift stores. Additionally, many organizations and charities provide free clothes for those in need.
While focused mostly on clothes, this will broadly discuss issues of appearance such as grooming and cleanliness.
Our physical appearance impacts not only our mental health but also our ability to get jobs and our ability to be treated with respect by members of the community. To assist with that, the San Juan College Cosmetology program provides a variety of hair/barber, esthetician, and manicurist services. These programs are performed by San Juan cosmetology students and are supervised by fully licensed professional instructors. Procedures are priced to compensate. Additionally, seniors (aged 60+) are given a 30% discount, and SJC students/faculty are given a 25% discount.
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For many students struggling with poverty or other issues, the compounding stress of their daily lives with the stress from school can cause major health issues. The San Juan College Student Achievement Center is an incredible resource for students at San Juan College to help alleviate any issues they may have in their daily lives in order to assist with student achevement. They are a one stop shop all sorts of services, from food and clothing assistance, to renting out laptops and hotspot, to providing tutoring in, time management, and study skills. Having a steady source of healthy food is not only an incredibly important for success at college, but it's also incredibly important for your health. Additionally, improvements in time management can also help alleviate stress (an important factor in our health).
Note: These resources are only available for enrolled San Juan College students and staff.
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The Overflow Free Store is an initiative of the Riverstone Church, which provides community members with donated clothing, home goods, toys, linens, and other household items. As is mentioned in the name, all items at the overflow store are completely free for individuals in need. The organization has no paid staff but is entirely paid for by donations and grants. All members are volunteers. Free coffee is also provided at the store.
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The Crisis Closet is an initiative of the San Juan Baptist Association, which provides a food pantry and emergency clothing to members of the Farmington community who are facing a crisis. All services offered are completely free, but interested parties must have a referral from a local Southern Baptist Church that is a member of the San Juan Baptist Association.
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The Food and Clothing Pantry is an initiative of the Word of Life Church to provide food and clothing to community members who are suffering from various forms of economic desperation free of charge.
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The Arc of San Juan County is a thrift store in Farmington designed to raise money for disabled people and to provide employment for disabled people in the Farmington Area. In addition to raising money, The Arc also donates clothing to disabled people in need (and non-disabled people with a voucher), provides training for disabled people to help them find jobs, and run an art academy for disabled people.
NOTE: Vouchers for free clothing from The ARC are available from the Student Resource Center.
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The Salvation Army is a Christian based organization which focuses on assisting the homeless and food insecure people throughout the U.S. In San Juan County, the Salvation Army is headquartered in Farmington. In the Farmington area, the Salvation army provides clothes both through its temporary Roof Shelter program and providing low price clothing through its thrift store.
NOTE: The Salvation Army is a Christian based organization (and may push non-believers into their faith) and has had a contentious relationship with LGBTQ+ people.
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The Lord's Pantry is a food pantry associated with The Oasis Ministries (but not located in the same building). The organization provides food, clothing, and other home goods for individuals in need. The organization also provides prayer and Christian counseling services.
NOTE: The organization is a Christian faith based organization.
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In many situations, it isn't enough to have clothes, but those clothes must be presentable in order to ensure employment. Many people may not be able to afford to purchase a washing machine/drier (or may not have the space for both machines). This is where laundromats serve a critical role, in ensuring that an individual can have clean clothes. In the city of Farmington (and Aztec), the largest laundromat is Laundrotopia, which operates three branches in the city of Farmington. In addition to the washers and driers, the laundromat provides (paid) snacks, (paid) laundry supplies, free wifi, and a kids zone.
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Save a Suit is a charity that takes in clean, gently used, business suits, professional attire, and other clothing resources they need to achieve job security. They donate these materials to veterans who are returning from service and transitioning back into the workforce. While the organization is headquartered in Connecticut, it ships suits to veterans across the country.
NOTE: This service is only available for veterans.
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People who are struggling with homelessness during the winter oftentimes face hypothermia or exposure to extreme temperature. Purchasing winter clothing can be prohibitive to many. One Warm Coat is a national organization which takes in new and gently used coats and distributes them to local partners (who in turn, distribute them to those in need).
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Shoes are incredibly important in keeping warm and are a necessity to enter several businesses. However, for many, purchasing new shoes can be prohibitively expensive. Soles 4 Souls takes in gently used shoes (including unmatched pairs) from people across the country and donates them to people in need. In addition, the company hires people to sort and distribute the shoes.
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The 211 Hotline is a hotline operated by United Way and The Hartford which can be used to connect people to different services in the community. The services provided by the 211 hotline includes food services, emergency rent/bill support, and disaster recovery. The 211 website also includes links to various programs that are hosted by the United Way.
Contact us (United Way Farmington Branch):
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