Category: Charitable donations

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Charitable donations Charity pick up Clothes donation

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure

Veterans charities

Step back and take a look at your closet. All of those past season must-haves that you only wore a couple times are sitting on the back shelf, replaced with the next up and coming newest style. When it is that your clothes have passed their fashion peak, give them a chance to be enjoyed by someone else, as recycling and donating these items to those in need brings many benefits to all involved.

Veterans and military families are in great need for clothing donations. In 2012, the unemployment rate of veterans was a whopping 9.9%, up 2% of the national average of regular citizens, with 20.4% being veterans between the ages of 18-24. Additionally, reports from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics in March 2013 show an estimated 207,000 recent veterans unable to find work. With 12 million tons of clothing and textile waste being thrown out every year in the United States, about 90% being viable for recycling, clothing donations for veterans charities are a perfect option for your gently used clothing. It is clear many others have taken the lead with donations; in 2007 alone, an average of 5.8 billion worth of clothing donations were made to charity foundations, military charities included.

Mother Earth is also somebody we need to consider when disposing of waste and other goods. The average American alone generates 4.5 pounds of trash per day, capping out at 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. Estimates from the EPA show 75% of this solid waste is recyclable, but only 30% is actually disposed of properly. The truth is, recycling is incredibly efficient and long lasting, if we recycled just 1/10 of our newspapers per year, Americans would singlehandedly save 25 million trees. Imagine what the birds of the world would have to say about that!

Composting is another eco-friendly way to minimize your carbon footprint. As a country, Americans produce 21.5 million tons of food waste per year. If we simply compost that food it would reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere as taking 2 million cars off the road. Since cars are a necessity for most in this day in age, why wouldn’t you add to the 87 million tons of material that was composted and recycled in 2012?

Overall, donating, recycling, and composting are painless and easy and have an immeasurable impact on others. After all, think of the birds! Find more on this topic here.

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Charitable donations Clothing donation Organizations that help military families

Extend a Helping Hand for the Holidays How to Give Back the Right Way

Donations for non profit organizations

This holiday season, there are plenty of families and children in need of warm winter clothing and other assistance. If you’ve been thinking of cleaning out your closets or cupboards and donating, now is the time to do it! For children in need clothing can be a huge gift and you can know that you helped someone in need simply by giving away what you didn’t want. It’s a win-win for everyone — families get warm clothes that are in good condition and you create more space and less clutter in your own home. You also save that material from ending up in a landfill or dump somewhere.
Does Donating Really Help?
Believe it or not, if you donate clothing or other household items, it keeps those items in the consumer loop and prevents them from just being thrown away. About 12 million pounds of clothing or other textiles are thrown out every year in the United States — a huge waste, when it could be used by someone else. For children in need clothing like your kids’ old winter coats could be the difference between staying warm and well during the winter season or coming down with colds.
Additionally, many people enjoy shopping for secondhand clothing. Americans buy about ten pounds of gently used clothing every year, which is great, considering that 90% of the clothing or textiles tossed every year could have been reused. The lower prices on secondhand clothing and the variety to be found in secondhand stores can make it a fun shopping experience — a little like a treasure hunt!
It’s also a popular option for donations — in 2011, for example, about 2 million pounds of clothes or other textile materials were donated or recycled.
It also teaches your kids to give back to the community they live in. It’s great to establish a culture of philanthropy in the house early and promote giving back. Teaching by example is one of the best ways to foster this and will make everyone in the entire family feel good!
Where Can I Donate?
There are multiple charitable organizations in the United States — from charities that will pick up donations to places that you can drop donations off at. If you have a specific charitable interest, such as supporting military charities, veterans charities, or helping families in need more generally, there’s an organization for you to give back to. However, if you’re just starting to think about giving back, a quick online search about a cause you care about or an organization you may have heard about will yield certain results.
Some donors prefer giving material goods as opposed to money, because they feel more certain that their donations are reaching the intended parties without any third party interference. (Many have concerns that a portion of their donations go towards funding the organization itself, instead of reaching the people they’re trying to help.)
For children in need clothing can be a huge way to give back. Consider looking into a charity or a local shelter to donate to — your efforts are sure to be appreciated and you could help turn someone’s life around in a positive way.

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Best charities to donate to Charitable donation Charitable donations Charity donations

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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Charitable donations Donation pick up Military donations

How to Find Meaning in Your Life By Volunteering in Your Community

Disabled veterans donations

The holiday season is busy, hectic time for Americans and their families. During the holiday season, we have feasts and celebrations to give thanks and connect with our loved ones.

In addition to holiday shopping, Americans also spend time making charitable donations and volunteering during the holiday season as a way to spread joy and honor the true spirit of Christmas. During this time of year, families that have loved ones in the armed forces often turn to organizations that help military families for support. As such, the holiday season is chaotic time for charities, which is why volunteering is so important.

Volunteering is the perfect activity for millennials and retirees. It offers millennials the opportunity to gain professional experience, while expanding their network. While the job market has significantly improved since the recession, finding a job can still be difficult. Also, volunteering also gives retirees the opportunity to redefine their retirement and find meaning and purpose in this new stage of their life.

There are several ways to volunteer. For example, organizations that pick up clothing donations need volunteers to not only sort through donations, but to pick up clothing donations as well. This gives volunteers the opportunity to connect with others in their community and unite under a common goal. Find more on this here.

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Charitable donations Clothing donation Donating clothing to charity

3 Ways Clothing Donation Makes a Difference

Military donations

The unemployment rate for veterans in the United States is 2% above the national average for regular citizens. As a result, many of our veterans find themselves in a position where they are in need of employment, monetary, or medical assistance that they are unable to obtain.

An estimated 80% of donated clothing in the United States is used by charitable organizations for donation to the needy, and for funding. Clothing donations for veterans is a way to give back to your community, and also a way to get yourself organized in the upcoming spring months. The typical American household discards an estimated 68 pounds of clothing each year, so why not turn these discarded articles of clothing into clothing donations for veterans?

Clothing donations not only help the veterans themselves, but also help you, AND the environment. Clothing donation helps you to start with a clean slate, no matter what time of year you decide to donate.Did you know you can write off clothing donations for veterans the same way you would a
monetary charitable donation? Give yourself a tax cut, and help a veteran get back on their feet.

Clothing donations for veterans, and for the less fortunate, also helps our environment. Textiles already comprise four percent of the nation’s solid waste stream, and the absolute amount is growing. Landfill space is expensive and hard to find. Clothes that are simply thrown out often end up in landfills, adding to the amount of waste. By donating your clothing, you keep these textiles out of the landfills, and on the backs of someone who truly needs them.

Clothing donations for veterans not only help our veterans to start over, but can help you to get re-organized. Consider donations this coming spring while completing your spring cleaning process.