Charitable giving is part of the American way of life. For many who would like to donate to charity but can’t always find the cash to spare, a good way to fulfill this wish to help others is to donate clothing. You may not think that your old clothing is worth anything, but charity organizations can sell these in their thrift stores to raise funds for their programs. Also, for many families and children in need clothing donations can help with their basic supplies for school and work. Another advantage of charitable donations of clothes is that the used fabrics get recycled, instead of being added to the landfills. Clothing donations for charities in fact create a win-win situation which is unfortunately all too rare in our world.
Why not donate clothing?
Charitable giving is part of the American way of life. Nearly all, or 95.4% of all Americans give to charity at some level. However, for many of us, it can be difficult to find the cash to spare. What many people don’t know is that charitable clothing donations can be just as helpful as cash. Those old clothes that you’ve outgrown can be sold in thrift shops run by charities. The funds raised will be used to fund programs that help the environment, veterans and families.
Your gently used clothing can gain a second useful life, helping out another family find basic supplies for school or work. Thrift stores provide families with children in need clothing of good quality at affordable prices. Thrift stores are a paradise for bargain hunters. When they’re operated by charities helping families in need and veterans, the funds raised are used to support their programs.
Helping the environment
Another positive result of charity donations of clothing is that the fabrics will be reused, rather than tossed into landfills. Among all recyclable materials like metal, glass, plastic and paper, textiles actually have lowest recovery rate, at only 15%. The remaining amount, which comes to about 10.5 million tons every year, just gets tossed into trash.
Overall, the EPA estimates that as much as 75% of the trash currently headed for landfills could actually be recycled. In practice, only about 30% does get recycled, so there’s plenty of room for improvement. The environmentalist mantra – reduce, reuse and recycle – is a good guide to doing your bit. By donating your gently used clothing to environmental or military charities, you’re helping the environment as well.
What and how to donate
Your gently used textiles and household goods can find a second life being useful to another family. For families and children in need clothing at affordable prices is a big help in meeting basic needs while staying within their budget. Small kitchen appliances like coffee makers and toasters, children’s clothes and toys, books and music are all accepted by charity thrift stores.
If you have a really large shipment, you can even schedule a charitable donation pick up. Otherwise, you can just bring along your bag of goodies with you when you’re out running errands and drop it off at collection bins. These bins are usually conveniently located in parking lots, at schools and community centers, so you don’t need to make an extra trip for the drop off.
Many people who would like to make charitable donations but can’t always spare the cash will be happy to learn that there is another way they can help. Donations of gently used clothing can help charities to fund their programs. For families and children in need clothing that is of good quality and affordable is a useful find. And finally, by recycling your used clothing, you’re helping the environment. Isn’t it amazing how much good one simple action can produce?
