The Compassion Closet team.When patients arrive at UAB Hospital after a trauma or emergency, their clothes are often cut off during life-saving treatment. Without family or friends to bring replacements, many face the prospect of leaving the hospital in paper scrubs. To address this gap, UAB Heersink School of Medicine student Nick Hakes launched the Compassion Closet, a program providing new, weather-appropriate clothing so every patient can be discharged with dignity.
Housed in the UAB Emergency Department and supported by the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, the Compassion Closet has quickly become a cornerstone of patient-centered care. Stocked entirely with community donations, it offers a wide range of items, including socks, underwear, bras, shirts, jackets, pants, shoes, and winter accessories.
Jaleah Wiggins
Since its launch, the Compassion Closet has been embraced and supported by UAB staff and the community alike, and its mission continues to grow.
The Compassion Closet has now expanded its reach beyond the hospital, partnering with Equal Access Birmingham’s street medicine clinics, extending essential clothing and supplies to individuals experiencing homelessness in the Birmingham community. Since the fall of 2024, the team has attended two Street Medicine Clinics at George Ward Park each month, distributing clothing, shoes, hygiene items, first-aid kits, and feminine hygiene supplies, typically serving between 15 and 35 patients at each clinic. The program’s feminine hygiene kits are created through a collaboration with the OBGYN Interest Group at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
"I can really tell how much the patients look forward to receiving items they need to care for themselves and their loved ones,” said Jaleah Wiggins, vice president of the Compassion Closet team and a UAB Heersink medical student. “We always try to improve the kits to cater to their needs and serve as best we can."
Kaylee RawlinsThe Compassion Closet assisted an average of 11 patients per month according to 2024 data, and in July of this year, the UAB Auxiliary awarded the Compassion Closet a $10,000 grant. The team is currently developing a budget to determine the most effective ways to use the funds to support and expand the closet’s reach.
“We've seen an outpouring of support towards our mission, from the healthcare staff and volunteers utilizing the closet for patients, to members of the community who have been happy to contribute to easing the burden of those in need,” said Kaylee Rawlins, president of the Compassion Closet team and a UAB Heersink medical student. “Most health events can't be predicted, and the closet has been able to ease the stress of finding weather appropriate clothing for patients who are likely already experiencing trying times.”
This fall, the program will also debut a mobile Compassion Closet in the Heart and Lung Transplant ICU, designed to meet the unique needs of patients enduring long and complex hospitalizations. This mobile version will allow staff to bring clothing and comfort items directly to patients and families, minimizing stress at discharge.
While UAB social workers have long kept small reserves of donated clothing, the Compassion Closet builds on this tradition with organized shelving, dedicated donation bins, and a much broader inventory of sizes and styles. Its expansion demonstrates the power of small, thoughtful interventions to profoundly impact patient experience.
How to support the Compassion Closet
The Closet relies on ongoing donations of new, dark-colored clothing in all sizes. Items needed include socks, underwear, bras, belts, sweatshirts, pants, shorts, jackets, gloves, hats, and shoes.
The team says the most pressing needs right now are men’s pants and shorts in all sizes.
Donation bins are located at:
· Volunteer Services: Spain Wallace, Floor 1
· UAB Hospital Information Desk: North Pavilion, Floor 2 (across from Starbucks)
· Medical Student Services: Volker Hall, Floor 1, Suite 102