DICKSON CITY — A young woman in Lackawanna County is on a mission to help those in need. She’s doing it with her own clothing drive.

If you plan on spring cleaning your closet in the near future, there’s a woman in Lackawanna County who can take your trash and make it someone else’s treasure.

“I thought I could really make something out of this, maybe, and help a lot of people.”

Dani Dorton is the force behind Double D Clothing Drive in the Scranton/Clarks Summit area.

Dani and co-founder Melissa Iacabacci collect clothing and other items and donate them to local families, nonprofits, and organizations.

Their 4-year-old hobby grew into a heartfelt mission.

“It’s about paying it forward, so really that’s what it comes down to and passion,” said Melissa Iacobacci. “It just gives you the opportunity to be there for someone that really needs it.”

Giving to Double D is much different than donating to the Salvation Army.

“The point of Double D Clothing Drive is to know where your items are going because when you donate to what you just said Salvation Army maybe, you don’t know who’s getting it,” Dani Dorton said.

According to a recent survey, an average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of used clothing a year.

“Style Encore,” “Once Upon a Child,” and “Plato’s Closet,” all in Dickson City, donate to Dani.

“We love helping our community. We love helping women and children and all that good stuff,” said Brooke Phillips of Style Encore. “It’s going to a great organization. We know it’s going to get to the right people who need it.”

“Throw it in a bag. Label it, gender, sizes, and season, and then email me,” Dorton said. “Then I can tell you where it’s going and can have it picked up.”

You can still donate if you’re not in Lackawanna County.

“You can still email us and we’ll do the research to see where you can donate to in your area.”

Dani and Melissa are always looking for volunteers, and if that happens, there’s a possibility of growing their drive outside of Lackawanna County.

Dani is thankful for how far they’ve come and what lies ahead.

“Because of you guys out there supporting us, donating, reaching out, volunteering, it’s just awesome.”

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