June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Throughout the month, Broadway Stages is featuring and celebrating exceptional people, businesses, and organizations of the LGBTQ+ communities. We invite you to join us in recognizing their accomplishments and contributions! Today, we bring you the Out of the Closet Thrift Stores.

Known as the world's most fabulous thrift store, the Out of the Closet Thrift Stores (OTC) are much more than that. Owned and operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), OTC puts 96 cents of every dollar made toward the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's HIV prevention and treatment services. In fact, OTC is able to offer high-quality HIV testing services at all of their locations.

Founded in 1990 by AHF President and Co-Founder Michael Weinstein, OTC has grown to 20 locations. The NYC location is in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Through their retail services, AHF has been able to bring cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 1,900,000 people in 45 countries. They are currently the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world.

You can contribute to the cause in two ways: as a donor of goods or as a consumer. There are two easy ways to donate to OTC. The first is through in-store donations, which are fast and easy. Simply stop by with your donations and drop off your items with their friendly staff. Don't forget to visit their kiosks and print a receipt for your records. Since OTC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all donations are tax-deductible!

Equally easy and convenient is scheduling a pick-up of your large item donations. Simply make an appointment by filling out a brief online form, and their friendly drivers will pick them up from your home. The process is fast and easy! You can access the large item pick-up form here.

While it is better to give than to receive, there is true joy in shopping at OTC. The shelves are filled with vintage finds and hidden gems. Moreover, the store is bright, clean, well-organized, and staffed with friendly faces. As one customer noted, "The staff is always so sweet. They can be busy but never too busy to answer your questions or help you to find what you need….The best part is that there's free HIV testing downstairs. Stay safe and look good! There are always discounted items, and the furniture pieces are ALWAYS ON POINT! It goes fast, so if you see something you love, be prepared to purchase it ASAP. Thank you for being such a Gem in the community. Love you guys, and be back soon!"

As an added bonus, when you shop at a thrift store, you help to reduce fast fashion waste. Did you know that the volume of clothing Americans throw away each year has doubled in the last 20 years, from 7 million to 14 million tons? Your fashion finds are good for your wallet and for the world!

OTC in Brooklyn is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. And their Instagram and Facebook pages often feature sales and promotions.

Broadway Stages is inspired to see others in our communities living their mission and making a difference in the world, one life at a time. Out of the Closet has done so much to help so many for many years. So do yourself a favor and go shopping there today. And when you do, be sure to tell them Broadway Stages sent you!