Dress for Recovery clothing bank opens in Merrick

You might guess that clothing banks for cancer patients, offering special items designed with cancer treatments in mind, would be as common as wig banks are — but they’re not. When Loraine Alderman was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, she searched beyond New York’s borders for a brick-and-mortar retail outlet that sold such items. She didn’t find one.

Alderman, of East Meadow, was limited to ordering online, so the shirts and other articles of clothing were never quite the right fit.

Now, Alderman’s goal of ensuring that other cancer patients have access to treatment-friendly clothing is a reality. On Tuesday, Dress for Recovery, the first clothing bank for cancer patients in the tristate area, opened at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Merrick.

“On May 28, 2019, when I received a call informing me that my two biopsies both came back positive for breast cancer, I could not think or perceive that something positive could come out of my new nightmare,” Alderman said to a small gathering before the ribbon was cut.

“I could not believe that there was not one store in all of New York or New Jersey where I could go in and buy the shirts that I needed after my mastectomy,” she continued. “The only place to get these shirts was online, and they were expensive.”

Dress for Recovery is the newest addition to Chabad’s Circle of Hope initiative, which was founded in 2012, offering a wig bank, free meals and counseling to families coping with breast and other types of cancer.

“We contacted the rabbi and the rebbetzin, and they said, ‘This is the missing puzzle piece to the Circle of Hope,’” said Alderman’s husband, Bill. “This is for every single person — anybody can come here and borrow the clothing that they’re going to need to ensure that they can dress for recovery.”

Loraine “went through very hard times, very dark times, but she decided to light a candle,” said Rabbi Shimon Kramer, leader of the Chabad Center.

The opening of Dress for Recovery occurred during Hanukkah — a tradition that also means “dedication,” Kramer said, a perfect time to debut a clothing bank dedicated to those battling cancer.

“Taking something that’s beyond imagining and turning it into something that is a source of hope for other people — you’re seeing a need and you’re filling the need,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said.

“What we’re seeing tonight is a perfect example of the power of community,” said County Legislator Steve Rhoads, of Bellmore. “It’s been a difficult time for all of us. It’s people like Loraine who are bringing light to our community and dispelling the darkness.”

Tiffany’s Dry Cleaner, in Merrick, has agreed to dry-clean all the clothing for free, and those who mention Dress for Recovery in the store will have 10 percent of their bill donated to the organization.

“I hope that clothing banks become as available as wig banks are for people needing wigs during chemotherapy,” Alderman said. “The first wig bank had to start somewhere — this is the first clothing bank.”

As of press time Tuesday, the Chabad’s annual campaign to raise money, which will benefit Dress for Recovery this year, had reached nearly 70 percent of its $100,000 goal. Three families in the community agreed to match every donation.

The campaign runs throughout Hanukkah. For more information, visit www.chabadjewishlife.org/unity.