Ten years ago, Project Ropa started with a simple idea. Everyone deserves clean clothes and dignity, no matter what they’re going through.
This month, we’re looking ahead to celebrating our 10th anniversary on September 20th. We’re also sharing an important update about where to find our monthly Mobile Clothing Closet while The Hope Center completes renovations. You’ll also find an update on the policy conversations we’ve been part of around textile recovery in California.
We’re taking a moment to thank Lazy Acres Market and its shoppers for an incredible year of support through the Envirotokens program. Thanks to everyone who directed their tokens to Project Ropa; we received monthly donations over the past year that helped advance our mission. Although the program has ended, we are deeply grateful for every shopper who chose to support us.
We also want to thank every supporter who made a financial gift over the past few months. Your generosity helped us close a critical funding gap for our Mobile Clothing Closet and kept this essential service on the road for our neighbors who rely on it. Your support reminded us that when our community comes together, we can overcome challenges and continue serving with dignity.
If you’re able, we’d love your help this August. You can make a financial gift or spend a few hours volunteering with our team. Every contribution helps us continue serving our neighbors with dignity.
With gratitude,
The Project Ropa Team
Project Ropa’s 10 Year Anniversary
Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 20, as we celebrate ten years of Project Ropa. Together, we’ll look back on a decade of showing up for our neighbors experiencing homelessness and financial hardship. What started with a couple of racks of clothing in the trunk of a car has grown into an organization that has helped restore dignity to more than 50,000 people and redistributed over 1.2 million garments. Today, Project Ropa has a California Certified Green warehouse, a dedicated team of five staff members, and a fleet of three vehicles that helps bring essential resources directly to communities across Los Angeles.
We’re still finalizing the location and event details. Keep an eye on your inbox for the official invitation coming soon. We can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with you.
Sustainability and Policy Engagement
For more than a year, Project Ropa has been advocating for policies that recognize the essential role clothing plays in people’s lives. This year, that work has continued to gain momentum. In April, we participated in the California Product Stewardship Council’s “Design for Compliance: Textile EPR in California” workshop at Little City Farm, followed by ongoing conversations around SB 707, California’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act. We’ve also continued building relationships with leaders across the state who are working to create a more sustainable and equitable future for textiles.
While food and shelter are recognized as essential needs, clothing is still not classified as essential in California. We believe that needs to change. Access to clean, appropriate clothing is often the first step toward employment, education, housing, healthcare, and fully participating in society. Clothing provides dignity, but it also opens doors to opportunity.
We’re continuing to advocate for policies that recognize clothing as an essential need. If you believe everyone deserves access to the clothing they need to thrive, we invite you to sign our petition and add your voice to this effort.
This fall, our team will continue these conversations at the California Resource Recovery Association’s annual conference in San Diego, where we’ll keep learning, building partnerships, and advancing solutions that support both sustainability and dignity.
Lazy Acres Envirotokens
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported Project Ropa through the Lazy Acres Market Envirotokens program in Los Feliz. Shoppers who brought their own reusable bags had the opportunity to direct a token to a local nonprofit, and thanks to your generosity, Project Ropa received $937.70 during the program’s final month.
This year of support was a meaningful reminder that small actions can create lasting impact. Sustainability has always been at the heart of Project Ropa’s mission. By giving clothing a second life, we help keep textiles out of landfills while ensuring they reach neighbors who need them most. As a California Certified Green business, we’re proud to be part of the circular economy and to show that environmental stewardship and community care go hand in hand.
Thank you to Lazy Acres Market and every shopper who chose to support Project Ropa over the past year. Your everyday choices helped make a difference.
Mobile Clothing Closet Location Update
A quick but important note for our regulars: with renovations coming to Serve LA at The Hope Center, the monthly Day of Hope event that our Mobile Clothing Closet operates at on the last Tuesday of each month is moving to a new home during construction. Starting next month, our Mobile Clothing Closet will be at First Southern Baptist Church of Hollywood, 1528 N Wilton Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028. This is a temporary move while The Hope Center completes its renovation, so please update your calendars and help us spread the word to anyone who relies on this monthly resource. Our service schedule can be viewed here.
Ten Years. One Mission. Countless Lives.
None of this would be possible without you. Every donation, every volunteer hour, and every act of generosity helps make our work possible. Over the past few months, your generosity has helped us overcome a critical funding gap and keep our Mobile Clothing Closet operating without interruption. We are deeply grateful to everyone who stepped up when we needed it most.
While clothing donations are essential to our mission, financial support is what keeps Project Ropa moving forward. It keeps our doors open, our lights on, our staff serving the community, and our Mobile Clothing Closet on the road. It also helps cover fuel, vehicle maintenance, warehouse operations, insurance, and the many day-to-day expenses that make our work possible.
If you’re able to make a financial gift today, you’ll help us continue providing clothing, hygiene essentials, and hope to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and hardship across Los Angeles County. If your schedule allows, we’d also love to have you volunteer with us this month. Every contribution, whether it’s a donation or your time, helps restore dignity and create opportunity for our neighbors.
