Project Dignity: PAYS Looking For Clothing Donations For Those In Need

MIDWOOD – The Pakistani American Youth Society (PAYS) is teaming up with Muslims Giving Back (MGB) to collect and distribute clothing for those who are in need— meet Project Dignity.

“We are asking everyone who has clothes to give away in good condition to wash and fold them for us and drop them to 1001 Newkirk Avenue on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. We need pants, jackets, gloves, winter hats, etc.,” PAYS co-founder Kashif Hussain told us. “We will distribute the donated clothes every Saturday at 11 p.m. at Herald Square next to the Macy’s where hundreds of homeless population congregate.”

PAYS was recently recognized by Borough President Eric Adams as one of the 80 COVID-19 heroes for its work distributing 130,000 freshly cooked, daily prepared, free halal gyro dinner platters since the pandemic began in March. Even today, the line to get the platters stretches the block. PAYS has also been hosting COVID-19 antibody testing, school bag giveaways for kids, toy drives, and helping people fill out the census. Now, the group will be working in coordination with MGB, which has been going out every single weekend for four years providing homeless people with food and other necessities. And neither organization plans on stopping anytime soon.

“The more services added to the program the better. One organization cannot do it alone, it has to be a collective collaboration between multiple organizations that care about the homeless,” MGB co-founder Mohamed Bahe said. “Having clean clothing is one of the most important requests the homeless ask after food. For them, having access to clean clothes means they won’t be looked at differently or ridiculed. It will make them feel like anyone else. The services have gotten fewer and the demand has increased. I’m happy to see organizations like PAYS, stepping up, and be there for their fellow man.”