New underwear is a 'big need' for people experiencing homelessness in London

Advocates for people living rough on London's streets say underwear donations are in great demand.

CBC London is collecting donations of new, clean underwear for London Cares as part of our annual Sounds of the Seasons campaign. Our goal is to raise money, donations and awareness for those facing food insecurity in London.

"We currently don't get a lot of donations for underwear," said Carlos Buschinelli, manager of outreach services at London Cares. "When we give it out, we always give it out new. So it's something that comes out of our budget."

London Cares, which supports people experiencing homelessness in London, keeps underwear on hand to give out through their outreach, washroom and shower programs. But keeping the supply stocked is an ongoing effort. 

"Underwear is always something that we come out short on," he said. Donations are typically things like blankets, jackets, socks and gloves, and underwear supplies can be lacking. 

"Even though you're experiencing home deprivation, you should have the right to access those basic needs in our community," Buschinelli said.

London Cares currently operates two showers out of their 717 Dundas Street location. They expect to open two more showers in January after construction wraps up at the new community hub at Queens Ave and Adelaide Street North. Drop-in laundry will run out of the hub.

Currently, Ark Aid is one of the only agencies offering laundry facilities to people experiencing homelessness in the city, as many closed in the pandemic and haven't reopened. He said one of the reasons there's been a lot of advocacy in the city for extra showers and washrooms is that people aren't getting that access right now. 

More than 2,240 people are experiencing homelessness in London as of Sept. 1, according to London's Vital Signs report. 

'Underwear is such a personal thing' 

Buschinelli said laundry isn't always a top priority for people in survival mode experiencing chronic homelessness.

"You're really focusing on where am I going to sleep and where am I going to get my next meal."

But access to clean clothes and underwear is crucial to overall health and hygiene, and providing clean clothes after people use the showers helps that effort. 

"People need to be able to access [facilities] to maintain their hygiene, stay clean. And when they're doing that, you want to be able to provide them clean clothes, right? And part of that is making sure that people are getting clean underwear," he said.

While new adult underwear of all sizes is welcome, Buschinelli said there are some styles that are more popular than others at London Cares. 

"Underwear is such a personal thing," he said.

"I know in our experience most of our male participants are not really happy when we only have tighty-whities," he said. Boxers and briefs are what they have on hand, usually from size small to extra large. 

For women, regular underwear is what's popular — a lot of people don't like 'granny panties,' he said. 

Here's how to donate to the underwear drive: 

• Buy new clean adult underwear. Avoid tighty-whiteys and 'granny panties.'
• Drop off donations at the CBC London newsroom on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., with Fridays starting at 10 a.m. You'll find us at 251 Dundas St. by the Central Branch of the London Public Library. 
• Bring them by Thursday, Dec. 22, to be delivered to London Cares.