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.
Category: Clothing donation
There are a variety of charitable organizations in the United States, and they all do fantastic work. The numbers speak for themselves. In 2013, for example, more than $240 billion was donated to charity by individual donors alone, accounting for nearly 72% of all charitable donations. Compare that to educational sector donations (16%) and corporate donations (5%). Though donations of all kinds are wonderful and selfless in themselves, it does say something about the state of American charitable giving in that the organizations that can afford to donate the most — the corporations — wind up donating the very least.
Regardless, the bountiful charitable giving from Americans truly goes a long way. Charitable clothing donations are no exception. Donating clothes is a simple yet extraordinarily helpful way of combating homelessness and poverty in the U.S. There are several organizations across the country that accept clothing donations. In fact, some go as far as to pick up donations from a front door or curbside! In this sense, donating to charity has never been more convenient!
Though donation pickups may not seem like a necessity, consider this. A recent survey has found that nearly half of people who make clothing donations prefer a donation pickup. Moreover, more than 50% of donors would not travel more than 10 minutes from home to make a drop-off. Without donation pickups, who knows how much clothing would end up in the hands of the homeless and less-fortunate?
There are a slew of reasons to donate to charity but no matter the reason, the result is always the same. Charitable clothing donations provide warmth and comfort to those who arguable need it the most. Especially during the winter, the homeless are in dire need of adequate clothing. Please consider donating your lightly used clothing today.
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In the famous words of President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address in 1961, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” These iconic words still ring true today, as support for military families is a cause that has swept the nation. Americans do so with great pride, and are eager to show veterans and military families their appreciation and support by making charitable donations to a variety of organizations that help military families.
There are many simple, easy, and convenient ways you and your family can show support for military families and veterans. Making charitable donations, specifically clothing donations, are an excellent way to show support for military families. Not only are you helping to support an honorable cause, you are also helping the environment as well. Did you know that the typical American household discards close to 68 pounds of clothing each year? Fabrics such as cotton, polyester, nylon and rayon make up an estimated 5% of all trash found in landfills. Much of this can be recycled and put to better use. In fact, 99% of clothing that is thrown away can be recycled. There are several reputable local and national charities that will pick up clothing donations, in addition to household furniture and other home goods that can be used for helping military families. You can feel confident that you donation is contributing to a safer, cleaner environment but also improving the life of a veteran.
There are so many ways to show your support for military families and veterans alike. However you show your support, know that your efforts are truly appreciated. Read more.
Schools and parents are encouraging young children to take a few minutes to write letters, birthday cards, Valentine’s, and Christmas cards to active military members and vets. “Thank you for fighting for our country. I love the color camo. I am nine. Why did you want to go to the military? Thank you for dieing [sic] for our country,” one letter begins. “I love American flags. Do you ever stop working? I love that every hour of every day you fight for our lives. I respect my veterans. How long do you have to sleep? You are very heroic and brave.”
Children’s letters to veterans are popular for several reasons — not least among them being that they are thoughtful, inexpensive, and relatively convenient. Contrary to popular belief, taking an active role in charities — especially ones supporting our troops — can be cheap, free, and/or take next to no time at all. Here are some ideas for giving back without giving up too much time or money:
Take Up Creative Couponing
Sometimes one of the most difficult things to do is ask for help. Many military husbands and wives take pride in being more or less self-sufficient. For that reason, they are often unwilling to ask for a hand. Asking for help and having someone explicitly offer to chip in, however, can be very different. One military mom suggests drawing up creative coupons good for “one night of babysitting,” “two hours mowing the lawn,” or “three hours help with errands.” Gift the coupons on special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays.
Get Your Local Community Involved
Avoid feeling the brunt of charitable efforts by asking your friends, family, and neighbors to get involved. Plenty of events, including pot lucks, charitable pancake breakfasts or barbecues, and events gathering food and clothing donations, are much more manageable with a crew.
Show Your Support Without Leaving Home
Americans short on time can also donate clothes from the comforts of home. Many organizations that collect donations for military families will come right to your home or pick up donations at a communal — and often more convenient — drop-off spot.
Supporting out troops and contributing to donations for military families does not have to be costly. Gift homemade coupons, organize a neighborhood effort, or donate items quickly by going through charities that will pick up clothing and food items at home.
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.