photo credit NYC Health + Hospitals: SHOW staff connected with UNIQLO Global CEO Dai Tsukagoshi (center) to share program insights and the effect of UNIQLO’s contribution on vulnerable New Yorkers
For thousands lacking stable housing in New York City, winter cold presents a daily, sometimes life-threatening hazard. It’s this urgent situation that makes the NYC Health + Hospitals’ Street Health Outreach + Wellness (SHOW) program, coupled with an expanding aid effort from UNIQLO, much more than a seasonal gift. Together, they’re delivering essential public health aid based on respect, trust, and the will to survive.
In the past two years, UNIQLO‘s The Heart of LifeWear initiative has provided thousands of HEATTECH thermals and winter gear—shirts, pants, socks, hats, gloves—to SHOW outreach teams. More than 14,000 clothing items have gone to those facing homelessness and extreme winter hardship.
Meeting New Yorkers Where They Are
SHOW’s mission is both bold and transparent: bring healthcare directly to people otherwise left behind. Since April 2021, SHOW teams have carried out over 280,000 direct interactions with unsheltered New Yorkers—building relationships and supplying care with no barriers to entry.
“Thanks to partners like UNIQLO, we can approach unhoused populations with greater compassion, urgency, and humanity,” said Deborah Brown, Senior Vice President, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Their gifts, as well as those from many others who support us, give SHOW teams vital tools to defend our patients from the cold and build the trust that forms the heart of meaningful care.”
Such trust is tangible for those on the streets. Staying warm might literally be life-saving—and often, it’s the gateway to accessing mental health care, medical services, or housing help.
Why Clothing Is a Medical Intervention
Dangerous cold leads to hypothermia, frostbite, and worsens respiratory and chronic illnesses. For SHOW teams navigating parks, subways, and the city by foot, access to adequate clothing is an indispensable part of clinical care.
“For patients spending long hours outside, warmth is not luxury—it’s essential for health and safety,” noted Andy Cook, SHOW Program Director. “HEATTECH garments have become staple items for our teams, enabling us to offer protection and build the trusting relationships that pave the way for more intense care.”
A single act—handing over a warm jacket or gloves—can open doors for deeper engagement. SHOW provides on-site wound care, vaccines, health checks, harm reduction education, and case management, all in real-time and on the street.
Restoring Dignity Builds Health
Leaders consistently stress that respect and dignity are central, not secondary, to public health.
“The simple act of sharing clothing and supplies has dramatically shifted many patients’ trajectories,” explained Dr. Yinan Lan, Medical Director for the SHOW Program. “When dignity is restored, patients become more committed to recovery and building trust with staff, often after years away from any healthcare.”
Dr. Lan also reports that UNIQLO’s donations have saved countless patients from the dangers of winter, freeing the team to address other urgent health needs.
A System Designed for Continuity, Not Crisis
SHOW maintains six mobile units throughout NYC, with teams composed of medical professionals, addiction and peer counselors, social workers, and community health advocates. Services are available without appointments, insurance, or fees.
Collaborating closely with NYC Health + Hospitals’ Safety Net clinics (Bellevue, Elmhurst, Lincoln, Woodhull), SHOW has directed over 1,700 patients to ongoing care or substance use help. Over half have followed up with multiple visits, a clear sign of growing trust amongst those often excluded from care.
As of July 2025, SHOW’s capabilities include mobile lab testing and ultrasound, greatly reducing the hurdles to vital care for those on the margins.
A Partnership Rooted in Purpose
“Improving everyday life through clothing is our guiding purpose,” said Jean Shein, Global Sustainability Director, UNIQLO. “Partnering with NYC Health + Hospitals makes it possible to ensure warmth and health for many New Yorkers this winter.”
In a city where winter hardship and homelessness persist, the UNIQLO–SHOW collaboration highlights an important lesson: health interventions can begin far outside hospital walls—with a gesture of warmth and respect on the streets.
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