***NEW 15K STRETCH GOAL*** Help Us Restore Our Rainy-Day Fund and Expand Services

Project Description (**NEW 15K STRETCH GOAL**): 

(⭐ This week's service spotlight: YQT+ Clinic! Finish reading until the end to learn more :^) )

Since 1989, the Suitcase Clinic has provided free, frontline healthcare and social services to underserved communities in Berkeley, and particularly people experiencing homelessness. We are a student-led humanitarian organization staffed by 100+ trained student volunteers, and work in collaboration with licensed medical and legal professionals. All donations are tax deductible (IRS EIN: 94-6090626 and Revenue Canada: 154146). 

Our services include professional medical care, haircutting, food security, and foot washing, which are often otherwise inaccessible to those we serve.

We are seeking $15,000 (stretch goal) to restore our depleted post-COVID rainy-day fund and expand services — ensuring we can consistently provide high-quality care to the 40–60 clients we see weekly at our three drop-in clinics, and the 75+ people we routinely reach through community outreach walks. We are crowdfunding because institutional funding restrictions (e.g., school grants) prevent us from purchasing essential clinic materials like nutritious meals and hygiene kits. All supplies are distributed directly to community members on a weekly basis.

"Through Suitcase, I genuinely feel like I am making a difference, and it brings me a lot of happiness" - Student Volunteer, Youth and LBGTQ+ Clinic

We have ample committed volunteers, reliable clinic spaces, and a longstanding, trusted name among the populations we serve. Our barrier to providing care is consistently financial. Last semester, we were forced to provide incomplete services and turn away clients — not because of any lack of committed volunteers, but because of financial limitations. For example, we ran out of lotion, towels, and socks at our footwashing station. We are going on community outreach walks with broken, three-wheeled wagons. Clients have requested support such as tarps for rainy weather, warm clothing, and Clipper cards to commute to clinics, but we have been unable to provide these because of financial constraints.

We are counting on support through this project to ensure we can continue providing essential resources this semester and in future ones, and to also expand our services to better meet community need. We would distribute all funds we raise to our three clinics and outreach team proportionately, based on the number of community members served:

The above rough distribution will hold up until $15K. After that, all additional funds will go toward strengthening our rainy-day fund and sustaining expanded services in future semesters. 

What your Donations Can Help Provide:

• $700 – Food provisions for all our community outreach walks for an entire semester
• $500 — Food provisions for all three clinics for an entire semester
• $200 — Haircutting and Foot-Washing supplies for all three clinics
• $50 — Sleeping Bag or Rain Jacket for a client
• $20 — Warm blanket for a client

"Suitcase is a congregation of the kindest souls who amidst their busy schedules and schoolwork come out each week to give their time to a wonderful community...you can visibly see the impact of the work being done." - Kathy, Student Caseworker @ General Clinic

By donating, you join us in our mission of advocacy and direct service with dignity—helping us meet expressed needs of our community with greater availability and consistency. We are deeply grateful for any contribution you might be able to provide, as your support directly determines the services we offer. Can we count on your help?

✉️ Contact info ✉️:

Email: suitcaseclinic1989@gmail.com (⭐ For inquiries about non-monetary donations (e.g., food, clothing), please email suitcaseclinic1989@gmail.com and CC aralyn_connolly@berkeley.edu, bao_9804@berkeley.edu, & mdevries.jd2029@berkeley.edu) 

Webpage: https://www.suitcaseclinic.org/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suitcaseclinic/ 

Instagram handles: @thesuitcaseclinic @yqt_suitcase

⚡ BONUS: Weekly Service Spotlight – YQT+ Clinic! ⚡

(Check back in on our crowdfunding or social media pages weekly for new spotlights & ways to see your donation leaving an impact! Updated on Sundays.)

❣️ What is YQT+ (Youth & LGBTQ+) Clinic? ❣️

        YQT+ Clinic is a weekly clinic geared towards individuals in their teens and early 20s. On top of providing free health services, free social services, and relevant & accessible resources for youth/LGBTQ+ individuals, YQT+ clinic is a great space to relax and hang out. There are always art supplies, games like uno, and warm dinners where everyone can eat and chat together.

✅ YQT+ Clinic's Goals ✅

       Should we raise enough crowdfunding money, here's some ways YQT+ Clinic hopes to expand services!

• $600 to cover a few intake sessions with a physician for clients
• $150 for more nutritious food for the remainder of the semester (e.g., fruits and salads)
• $100 for additional healthcare supplies (e.g., wound care materials, bigger blood pressure cuff, vitamin supplements)
• ... and more!
  

⭐ Stories from our YQT+ Clinic volunteers! ⭐

• "Suitcase has provided me so much perspective on how social structures and barriers affect community health and how we, even as students, can contribute to combatting these unrelenting structures through seemingly small but consistent weekly efforts. This club has certainly shaped my work at the intersection of healthcare, public health, and policy, and continues to be one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had at Cal."
• "Suitcase Clinic lets me practice what I preach. As a social welfare major and sociology nerd, I can talk the talk for hours about systems of inequity and injustice (especially at UC Berkeley), but Suitcase helps me fight the imposter syndrome of it all and actually do the things I say I'm going to do!"
• "Clinic is such a unique space where we can build connections with community members, learn from each other, and share good company. I often thinks about how affirming a space like YQT+ clinic would have been to my younger self, and I'm so so grateful to be a part of this safe space that I can count on to be there every week"
• "I joined Suitcase to make a positive impact on the Berkeley community. After becoming involved in outreach and seeing the direct work we do, I realized just how meaningful and impactful it truly is. The connections we build with unhoused individuals and the stories we hear are essential to creating real change. We strive to provide as much support as possible, and there are many community members who regularly rely on and look forward to our services, whether it’s hot meals, hygiene products, or clothing. Through Suitcase, I genuinely feel like I am making a difference, and it brings me a lot of happiness"
• "I joined Suitcase to be a part of a community revolved around advocacy for our neighbors, and have stayed due to the kindness and generosity of the people I've met in this space, and the meaningful connections I've made with them. I've specifically dedicated the majority of time at Suitcase to the YQT+ clinic because it truly feels like a family; it is a welcoming space for so many people from all different walks of life, ages, backgrounds, and identities who have bonded and shared so many laughs and tears with each other throughout the years. Having a safe space for a minority within the houseless community, a group that faces so much stigma and structural oppression, is so important, which is why all the contributions toward YQT+ will mean so much for us caseworkers and our community members."