Good Clothes Good People continues distributing basic needs products remotely

A student-funded basic needs organization now distributes basic needs products by mail or virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Good Clothes Good People is a nonprofit volunteer-run organization at UCLA that distributes hygienic products and school supplies to students in need, said third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student and GCGP UCLA President Elaine Pham.

GCGP began receiving a portion of student fees this fall after a spring undergraduate student government referendum passed, raising undergraduate student fees by 99 cents per academic year to go toward GCGP funding. According to the charter of the referendum, GCGP previously received funds from sources including The Green Initiative Fund and the Undergraduate Students Association Council Surplus Fund.

This quarter, undergraduate students can request to receive a bundle of hygiene products or school supplies purchased with referendum funds sent to their address or receive a $25 e-gift card to purchase school supplies or textbooks at the UCLA Store. Students also have the option to request individual items such as shampoo and conditioner.

Although the first deadline to request items has passed, students still have until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 28 to submit a request for the items. Students can expect to receive items within two weeks after they submit a request form, Pham said.

GCGP operated a distribution center in the Student Activities Center basement until it closed indefinitely after UCLA closed its campus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The GCGP center provided free donated clothes to visitors and rented out formal clothes, crutches, wheelchairs and umbrellas.

“The referendum money was supposed to be for the center only. We thought our center would always be open, but no one would’ve thought this pandemic would hit,” Pham said. “I’m glad we found a way to keep helping people virtually.”

The GCGP Basic Needs Referendum will collect $30,399 from undergraduate students during the 2020-2021 school year, according to the Undergraduate Student Association budget. The nonprofit will receive 75% of the amount annually to pay for its supplies. The UCLA financial aid office will receive the other 25%, as required by the referendum text.

The USAC Community Service Commission, which oversees GCGP, did not respond to multiple requests for comments.

Sarah Payne, a fourth-year geography student, said she rented business attire from GCGP for a job interview before the center closed.

“If I needed those clothes, they were there,” Payne said. “I know they had other things that you could grab too if you needed them, which was also super useful.”

Although the GCGP physical distribution center was available to anyone who wanted to use it, only undergraduate students can order the resources virtually, Pham said. The rest of its resources will reopen to the entire UCLA community once GCGP reopens its physical center, she added.

As a nonprofit organization, GCGP relies heavily on volunteers to manage the distribution and redistribution of collected resources, Pham said.

Vivian Nguyen, a GCGP volunteer and fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, said she joined the team after witnessing a number of students supporting the center’s work.

“It’s just really heartwarming to see a lot of students donate their clothes with even (donation) bins on (fraternity) row and sorority row or getting donations,” Nguyen said.“I thought that was really cool so that’s when I started volunteering there too.”

Although the resource center is closed indefinitely, Pham said GCGP welcomes feedback to help keep its promise of providing basic needs to undergraduates.

“As long as we’re in a pandemic,” Pham said, “We’re going to keep trying to expand and improve request forms because there’s always room for improvement.”