Free clothing program provides personal shopping experience to 2,500 people annually

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A small building on Cleveland Avenue has been providing free clothing to Kansas City-area residents since 1959. Northland Clothing Center, the 3 Degree Guarantee nonprofit for the month of July, serves roughly 2,500 people a year — offering everything from hats and coats to shoes, socks and everything in between.

A mission rooted in basic human need

Executive Director Marjie Siegfried-Stuber said the organization’s purpose has remained consistent since its founding.

“Our whole purpose is to provide clothing, which we consider a basic human need, so that people can go out into their ordinary daily life like you and I do,” Siegfried-Stuber said.

What began as a small clothing closet serving a handful of schools has grown significantly. The organization now works with 248 referral agents representing 34 organizations — including school counselors, mental health agencies, caseworkers and churches. Last year, more than 86,000 articles of clothing left the building.

Personal shopping, free of charge

Every client receives a one-on-one personal shopping experience, selecting their own colors, styles and sizes.

“They walk out, just like you and I walk out of a store, loving their purchases, only they don’t have to purchase it here,” Siegfried-Stuber said. “It’s all free of charge.”

On a typical serving day, 50 to 60 people are assisted, with each client leaving with 40 to 60 items. Clients are able to visit twice per year and must be referred by one of the organization’s partner agencies.

Impact on jobs, school and daily life

Siegfried-Stuber said access to clothing has direct consequences for clients’ ability to work and attend school.

“To many of these clients, this organization means the difference between having a job and not having a job, or going to school and being bullied, or going to school and not being bullied, being able to focus on the academics that they’re there for,” she said.

The organization reported a 234 percent increase in clients served during September and October 2025, following changes in federal funding. An affluent Clay County school district reported 73 homeless students enrolled in its high school, many of whom rely on Northland Clothing Center for clothing.

Volunteers and donations power the operation

The center operates entirely on donations and volunteers. Volunteer Debbie Butler has been with the organization since 2015 and said the transformation she witnesses is immediate.

“Some of them come in and they’re a little sad. But once they get clothes on and you turn around and they look in the mirror, you get this big smile — you see confidence just kind of comes up through them,” Butler said.

Butler described the building as a place defined by more than clothing.

“There’s a lot of love that goes on in this building. There’s so much dedication that goes on in this building,” she said.

Siegfried-Stuber said the feeling of impact is present even in administrative work.

“That’s an incredibly rewarding feeling, to know that you can change someone’s life,” she said.

How to donate or get involved

Northland Clothing Center accepts donations on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and the first Saturday of each month from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The organization is especially in need of children’s clothing and monetary donations.