Category: Charitable donation

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Why We Should Focus on Giving This Holiday Season

Purple heart donation pick up

For many Americans, the holidays embody a sense of joy, wonder, and generosity that ought to be carried out through the whole year. A recent survey found that around 43% of those asked give more during the holidays than the rest of the year, with 44% stating that they give the same amount regardless of the season. Many spend the holidays giving gifts to our friends and families; here are some reasons to give donations to charities this holiday season.

Needless Waste

Every year, America throws away roughly 10.5 million tons of clothing and other textiles to landfills across the country. While nearly 100% of these clothing articles could have been recycled, only 15% of the average American’s wardrobe gets recycled. As one of the world’s largest countries, we also happen to be among the largest producers of needless waste in the world.

The Benefits of Charitable Donations

Used clothing donations in 2006 spared approximately 2.5 billion pounds of fabric from landfills. With many of America’s landfills rapidly filling up, every article of clothing donated is a small victory for environmentally-keen Americans. Up to 45% of recycled clothing is worn regularly as secondhand clothing; even clothing with minor wear and discoloration can be given a new lease on life in many circumstances. Although many give charitable donations for altruistic reasons, any donation worth more than $250 can qualify as a tax write-off so long as the individual in question has a receipt: proof that good deeds don’t go unnoticed.

How to Donate Clothing to Charity

Donating clothing is a simple matter of determining what you no longer need. As a general rule of thumb, if you haven’t worn an item in six months to a year you might want to consider donating it as someone may need it more. Many charities have dedicated drop-off locations for donations, although there are an increasing number of clothing donations that pick up at home. Those donations that pick up at home schedule a pick-up time at the donor’s convenience. Let’s remember what the holidays are about this season: family, love, and generosity — even the smallest act of kindness can mean the world to someone in need.

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Three Little Known But Important Facts About Clothing Donations

clothing donationDuring the winter holiday season, it’s easy to get caught up in the spirit of generosity, kindness, and that general feel-good vibe. After all, it’s contagious, and the air seems to buzz with radiant, positive energy.

It’s during this chaotic time that organizations receive the most charitable donations out of any other time of the year. In preparation for large holiday feasts, events, and parties, and in order to restock food banks, it’s common for donors and volunteers to give non-perishable food items such as canned goods as charity donations during this time of year.

While all kind of donations are accepted — and needed — donating clothing to charity can be particularly beneficial, regardless of the time of year. With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get a jump start on your spring cleaning while giving back to your community by cleaning out your closet.

Here are three of the top reasons why clothing donations are so important.

They fulfill a basic need
Food, shelter, and clothing are considered the three most basic things every human needs in order to live, making clothing donations of the utmost importance. While winter clothing is especially helpful during the colder months, you can donate all kinds and styles of clothing all year long. In fact, business casual and professional attire is always in high demand. Even if you’re short on time, donation pick up services allow you give back at a time that works best for you.

They’re good for you
While donating and volunteering helps those in need, did you know that it can also benefit your own physiology? According to a research study published in June 2014 by the Citizens Advice Bureau, three out of five participants said donating and volunteering helped them to feel less stressed. In addition, four out of five said donating and volunteering helped to improve their self confidence.

They’re good for the environment
Even though 99% of clothing that is thrown away could have been recycled, Americans discard an average of 68 pounds of clothing a year. By recycling or donating unused or unneeded clothing, you’re helping to reduce landfill waste, as well as pollution to the environment. For example, in 2006, a whopping 2.5 billion pounds of fabric were kept from the landfills by used-clothing purchases.

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The Benefits of Donating Clothes in Your Community

Military charities

While you’re in the midst of your spring cleaning, why not carve out a little time to clean out your closet and determine what stays, what can be discarded, and what can be donated. You may just one of many Americans who discards nearly 68 pounds of clothing each year. However, did you that almost 99% of that could have been recycled or donated in some way? So why not get cleaning and help your community out at the same time!

It’s been said that three basic needs all humans need in order live are food, shelter, and of course clothing. After a particularly severe winter, organizations that accept clothing donations are in dire need of not only clothing donations but other charitable donations as well, such as non-perishable food items and household goods.

However, finding time to donate can be difficult. Luckily, there are several organizations that make donating and giving back easier than ever before thanks to donation pick up services. All you have to do is place your items outside your home or work and schedule a donation pick up time with your charity of choice. That’s it! Helping military families has never been more convenient thanks to organizations that accept clothing donations!

Aside from helping those in need, clothing donations are also beneficial to the environment because they help to keep fabric and textile waste out of over burdened and crowded landfills. In turn, this helps to reduce overall environmental pollution.

In addition to clothing donations, there are a number of other ways you can help military families in your area. Many organizations allow you to assemble custom gift or care packages that can be delivered to military spouses, active duty military, or veterans. You can choose to gift anonymously or include a personal note or message.