Encouraging Wellness, Hand in Hand

Well Cloth’d Leadership Team: Maya Shelton, Leetah McGee, Marien and Jenne Richardson

New York City has a lot of unknowns, like whether the F train will actually be running this weekend, if the morning sun will turn into afternoon thunderstorms, or how much rent will go up next year. Still, we live contently through the unknowns because of the wonderful New York City definites: entertainment everywhere you go, eclectic fashion everywhere you look, and the quiet community feel of the city even if you don’t know your neighbors (which, most of us don’t).

Last weekend if you were strolling through the Lower East Side, you might have run into those three definites in one special storefront on Hester Street. Warner Music Group’s diversity, equity and inclusion group “Hand in Hand '' teamed up with the black-owned, Brooklyn based non-profit Well Cloth’d to host a pop-up “boutique thrifting experience” that brought together close to 200 attendees, raised a few thousand dollars for Well Cloth’d, and re-homed hundreds of pounds of clothes.

The Well Cloth’d mission is to “promote compassion, understanding, and total wellness amongst those we serve and our community as a whole by taking the mystery out of donating. By connecting generous individuals to in-need populations, Well Cloth’d ensures its recipients receive high-quality care packages that are curated specifically to meet their needs.”

“If you look good, you feel good,” said Well Cloth’d Director of Partnerships, Maya Shelton. “We provide a sense of dignity to people who in most cases are perceived as less than in society simply because they may not be in the position to afford the latest trends. The wellness we promote comes from providing a basic necessity so that in return that individual or family will have one less thing to worry about.”

Shoppers at Thoughtful Thrift

Well Cloth’d was founded in 2017 by three women and has since grown into a community of all different kinds of people, but the Well Cloth’d team has learned that we are all much more similar than we think. 

 “We are all connected which is why the work we do is so important,” said Maya. “The people we help could very well be a family member or a neighbor or even a volunteer.”

 When you stepped into the pop-up venue, it was easy to feel the heartbeat of a community. In between shopping the donated collections from big brands and NYC influencers, attendees came together around the complimentary coffee bar and jammed to the beats of DJ Luna Rosa.

For many NYC creatives, fashion and music have a close link. Warner Music Group’s Hand in Hand team understands that connection, as they work to bring to life your favorite artists’ merchandise every day. Ben Marienthal, a product manager at WMG and Hand in Hand’s co-president, discovered Well Cloth’d while searching for a place to donate excess merchandise. 

 “What appealed to me off the bat was that they were a local, black women owned group,” said Ben. “After that first donation we got to know the team and they were so awesome, we really wanted to continue working with them.”

 Anna Ticker, a WMG digital accounts manager and Hand in Hand community co-chair added, “We just got to talking and the idea of a thrift pop-up came up organically. We hope our contribution will make a real impact.” 

Shoppers at Thoughtful Thrift

To make that “real impact,” access and resources are necessary. When teams like Hand in Hand and Well Cloth’d are able to work together, there is a stronger push to promote change. 

“It’s awesome that Warner is trusting its employees to support local nonprofits and businesses in creative ways,” said Ben. “Having a big company support impactful activations like this is super powerful, and now that we have the proof of concept, the opportunities are endless.”

Hand in Hand works to uplift the voices of and create positive change for Black and Indigenous People of Color and other marginalized groups, through their artists and company resources. The team was created in 2020, when the Black Lives Matter movement shook the world. 

“Connecting our music merchandise business with the innovative work being done at Well Cloth’d has created an authentic way for our Hand in Hand team to support the local community, while also showcasing the generous spirit of WMX,” said Elsa Vivero, Hand in Hand’s executive sponsor, and General Manager / Executive Vice President, Global Commercial Services at WMX. “It’s just one example of how our employee-led groups and initiatives are having a positive impact.”

 “We want everyone we help to have confidence, feel good about themselves, and walk away from a Well Cloth'd event with a smile on their face feeling at ease,” said Maya. “We encourage people to not only be Well clothed but well rested, well supported, and well equipped to face the world and its many challenges.”