Sabrina White is a Los Angeles fashion school attendee with a love for children. When life didn’t quite go as planned, she found herself back in her hometown of Olympia, and we are certainly lucky she did. Her compassionate heart noticed that kids in her own classroom at Hansen Elementary School were in need of clothes and shoes. So around 2010 she started her own “store,” Raindrops to Polkadots, where kids could shop for free clothes thanks to generous donations from the community.
“It started very, very small and was just my family’s clothing,” Sabrina shares. “It started to grow and grow. Coworkers and friends started to donate. I had an amazing principal and mentor who allowed Raindrops to Polkadots to be at the school. I would piggyback on neighborhood garage sales and grab the clothes at the end of the day. The first really big event was the annual Back to School event in 2014.”
Thurston County Clothing and Food Drives Help Youth
Sabrina created her own donation bin out of a wardrobe box from U-Haul and wrapping paper. She washed all the clothes she received and created a pop-up store kids could shop during recess at her school. “I would also do personal shopping and create bags full of clothes that the kids could take home,” Sabrina adds.
As the years went by, Raindrops to Polkdots grew. Each August she does a big clothing drive for back to school and started bringing her items to a local community center. “So many wonderful people donating what they don’t wear,” she says. Her nonprofit takes no monetary donations, and Sabrina is not compensated for her time. It’s 100% donations that are then given out for free to local youth.
When Sabrina learned at a High School Scholarship Foundation meeting that many high schoolers did not attend their proms due to lack of funds to buy appropriate attire, her big heart stepped up and created a Prom Pop-Up Shop.
“So many dresses, suits, shoes and jewelry poured in!” says Sabrina of that first pop-up. “The Theater Director brought up some clothing racks and a giant mirror. We used some offices and fabric to create makeshift dressing rooms. And the Horticulture class created corsages and boutonnieres. I honestly didn’t think many kids would show up! Boy was I wrong! So many kids came! It was amazing!” The Prom Pop-Up Shop now has a permanent home at Capital High School, where the staff run it.

During COVID Sabrina found another way to help youth – food. “COVID and the pandemic created many needs in the community, but they didn’t need clothes, they needed food,” she says. “So I turned a Fashion School pipe dream project, The Munchie Mobile, into reality. Again, this community! I would put out a post on social media and then sit at a parking lot and the most amazing people would drive up and drop off boxes and boxes of snacks! So many snacks! Each week I would pack up around 200 snack bags and drive around delivering them around town!”
When they finally returned to school, Sabrina stepped up once again and did a school supply drive. “Again, this incredible community! My porch would be full of boxes filled with markers, pencil boxes, headphones. All the things!” she shares.
Donate Clothes, School Supply, Shoes and More to Local Nonprofit
Sabrina loves what she does for many reasons. “Olympia is my most favorite community,” she says. “I love sharing what I don’t wear so that others can have fun clothes too! My favorite thing is watching the kids shop and fill their bags with their favorite items! Each getting to search for items that can help their true self shine! Having clothes that fit right and allow one to express themselves is so important.”
So where did the name come from? “Raindrops to Polkadots came after a bit of a rough patch in this game called life,” Sabrina answers. “It’s about finding the joy or the silver lining. Looking at the bright side. Finding the beauty in things.”

You can help kids have a silver lining by donating your gently used and in good shape clothes, shoes, backpacks, accessories, prom dresses and more. She takes just about anything she says, and if the youth she serves can’t use them, she continues to pay it forward by taking the items to other organizations around town that serve other populations in need. “A few years we had dentists and some amazing community members donate backpacks and hygiene products, toothbrushes, hand warmers etc.,” she adds. “That turned into backpacks for houseless youth. We handed out as many as we could and dropped the rest off at Community Youth Services. Adult dress clothing has also been used to start job interview closest.”
Sabrina takes everything year-round, including formal attire for the prom pop-ups. You can also take prom attire directly to Capital High School. “If you are waiting until the last minute, look for the social media post and that will give a more detailed time frame for collection,” she shares. “Usually, it is in late September or early October for Homecoming and May or June for Prom.”
Other months with specific needs include: January for snacks for students; February, she has a drive for Cispus, the outdoor school; August is her back-to-school event; and October she does a Halloween costume swap.
Sabrina asks those in need of clothing to reach out to her as well as those who are looking to donate. You can message her on the Raindrops to Polkadots Facebook page.