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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.

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Clothing donations Clothing donations pick up Donating clothing to charity

How to Help Military Families and Veterans During the Holidays

Charitable donations

The holidays are a perfect time to show your appreciation and support for military families and veterans. As we celebrate with our families and loved ones this holiday season, it’s important to remember that many military families will also be celebrating without some of their loved ones, who are either deployed or have died in combat. Many veterans who are living residential homes or are in hospitals will be celebrating the holidays alone. However, showing military support and giving back to the community is easier than ever.

There are several local, regional, and national organizations that help military families year round. Like many Americans, you may be eager to make a charitable donations but are unsure of how to go about doing so or what kind of donation is best. Contact a VA or military charity in your area to find out how. During the holiday season, VA and military charities often have drives in which they may request specific veterans donations, such as non-perishable food and clothing donations. There are several organizations and charities that pick up veterans donations directly from your home.

However, veterans donations don’t always have to be a physical, tangible item. Donating your time by volunteering is an excellent way to contribute. You can volunteer at a charity by putting together care packages, serving meals at holiday veterans charity event, or spend time with a recovering veteran in a hospital or treatment facility. Or simply say thank you to veteran by buying him or her a cup of coffee or a meal.

Kindness and happiness are contagious, especially during the holiday season. No form of donating or volunteering is better than the other; all efforts make a difference and are appreciated.

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Donating clothing to charity Purple heart clothes donation Veterans clothing donations

Three Reasons to Think Locally and Globally about Local Clothing Donations for Your Community

When to donate clothes

Did you know that clothing is one of the easiest materials to recycle and yet it makes up 5% of all trash in U.S. landfills? Americans throw away approximately 12 to 13 million tons of clothing each year, in fact, when instead those clothes could be donated to your local charity organizations.

Giving local clothing donations to charity is good for everyone who receives help, and donating is great for the environment, too. If you’re not sure why you should think locally and globally when you donate, here are three great reasons to give:

    1. It’s good for your community. In the United States alone, there are millions who live in poverty. Donating clothing is one way to serve a basic need in your community for adults and children alike. Not only are gently used clothing donations given directly to certain populations, but they are sometimes also sent to secondhand stores to be sold. These charity-run shops take in about 20% of all local clothing donations, and they are able to use the proceeds to help others in their communities.

    2. It’s good for the planet. By donating to other people, you’re not only helping out your community. You can also keep the planet clean by diverting waste from the landfill to others. Even if your used clothing donations aren’t given directly for helping families in need or sold in secondhand shops, it can be broken down and recycled into new material.

    3. It’s good for you. It’s easy to get bogged down by purchases and let our possessions control us. When we donate what we’re not using on a regular basis, we take back that control. Even if you don’t think you have anything to give, be sure to go through your closets at least once per year to clear out the clutter. You may be surprised by what you find — and there’s a good chance someone else could use those discarded items.

Have more questions about giving local clothing donations to your area charities? Leave a comment below.

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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.