What is the Compassion Closet?
UAB's Compassion Closet was created in the fall of 2022 with the mission to "discharge with dignity" by meeting a gap in the care of trauma and emergency patients.
Trauma patients have their clothing removed or cut off to allow for first responders or physicians to quickly examine their injuries. Emergency patients may have had their clothes damaged or soiled to due to a health event. Unless these patients have friends or family able to bring them clean clothes, they leave the hospital in thin paper scrubs.
The Compassion Closet meets this need by ensuring patients whose clothes have been damaged due to trauma or emergency treatment are discharged from the hospital in clean and weather-appropriate clothing. The closet features new clothing and shoes provided by community donations.
Give Online
You can support the mission of the Compassion Closet with a tax-deductible financial gift.
Current Needs
The Compassion Closet is currently accepting donations of NEW, preferably dark colored clothing in the following categories:
Urgently needed:
- Jackets
- Sweatshirts
- Underwear
- Bras
- Socks
- Winter Hats
- Winter Gloves
- Shoes
- Belts
Still accepting:
- Shirts
- Pants
- Shorts
- Dresses
Donation Locations
See below for the locations of our three donation bins. You'll see the white bin wrapped in our Compassion Closet logo, with a donation form in a folder on top. Make sure to fill out the form - your donation of new clothing is tax-deductible!
| Building | Floor & Office |
| Spain Wallace | Floor 1 - Volunteer Services |
| North Pavilion | Floor 2 - UAB Hospital Information Desk - across from the Starbucks |
| Volker Hall | Floor 1 - Suite 102 - Medical Student Services |
Stakeholders
We are beyond grateful to our stakeholders and partners who have helped make the Compassion Closet a success:
- Patients
- Volunteer Services
- Emergency Department Nursing
- Emergency Department Care Transitions
- Emergency Department and Trauma Physicians
- UAB Emergency Services
- UAB Heersink School of Medicine
- Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
- Department of Emergency Medicine
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Care Closet at Children’s Hospital of Alabama
In the News
-
Compassion Closet News Stories
- UAB News - Medical student launches effort to ensure all hospital patients leave in fresh clothing
- Alabama Public Radio - Effort underway to see that hospital patients leave with clothes on their backs
- ABC 33/40 - UAB Medical Students create 'Compassion Closet' to bring dignity to hospital discharge
- WVTM NBC 13 - Medical student starts Compassion Closet program to help trauma patients
- WBRC Fox 6 - UAB medical students create ‘Compassion Closet’ to ensure patients are ‘discharged with dignity’
- WBRC Fox 6 - Compassion closet lifts patients' spirits at UAB
- Birmingham Business Journal - UAB medical student launches program, gets buy-in from stakeholders
Contact & Social
Contact UAB's Compassion Closet at compassion@uab.edu.
Follow UAB's Compassion Closet on Instagram!