As colder Memphis months arrive, St. Francis Bartlett seeks to clothe vulnerable patients

Micaela A Watts, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read

For Memphis' unhoused, unexpected obstacles are endless.

A lesser-known obstacle shows up in how Memphis' most vulnerable are reintroduced back into the world after being treated at hospitals. For those that, for whatever reason, lose their clothing during the course of their stay, they are sometimes discharged in whatever spare clothing a hospital may have, from scrubs to sweatshirts — even in colder winter months.

For several years, Memphis residents and nonprofits have reported sightings of unhoused patients being released back in the streets in minimal clothing that cannot sustain warmth against freezing temperatures.

At St.Francis Hospital-Bartlett, a simple plan was hatched to combat this challenge — a clothing pantry, comprised of season-appropriate clothing in a range of sizes for those who lost the only clothes they had, literally the clothes on their backs, during their hospital stay.

T-shirts can be seen on shelves inside of a closet for patients who are in need of clothes Friday, Dec. 18, 2023 at St. Francis Hospital Bartlett in Bartlett, Tenn.
T-shirts can be seen on shelves inside of a closet for patients who are in need of clothes Friday, Dec. 18, 2023 at St. Francis Hospital Bartlett in Bartlett, Tenn.

Christopher Jenkins, chief operational officer for the Bartlett hospital, hopes to model to other hospitals that adequately clothing a patient in need is easy, and it means one less obstacle for someone already facing dire circumstances.

Clothing those who need it, Jenkins said, is part of being "discharged with dignity."

Over the 2023 summer break, Jenkins' daughter, Izabelle Jenkins, took the initiative and organized the pantry, sifting through donations and sorting stacks by category and size. It was a straightforward project, she said, but one she knew could have a significant impact on those already facing an array of problems associated with being unhoused.

Christopher Jenkins said the clothing pantry has been successful, with donations going out to both patients and some hospital employees who may be facing financial hardships.

To donate clothing to St.Francis-Bartlett as colder temperatures close in on the Memphis area, contact the hospital's volunteer coordinator, Carolyn Borden, by email at Carolyn.borden@tenethealth.com.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to hospitals, healthcare, and resource access. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: St Francis Hospital - Bartlett clothing pantry for vulnerable patients in need of help