Category: Donations to purple heart

Categories
Clothes donation Clothing donations for veterans Donations to purple heart

Which Charity Organizations Should You Donate Clothing to This Holiday Season?

Clothes donation

The holiday season is almost here, and although it will end before you know it, the winter will continue for a couple more months after that. In many parts of the United States, that means cold weather, which spells trouble for those who don’t have proper shelter or clothing.

While monetary donations to homeless shelters and other charity organizations that aid in housing are a great idea, there is another type of donation you can give that will help the less fortunate during the winter: gently used clothing donations. Clothing donations serve several purposes. They can be used to clothe the needy, be sold in thrift stores to collect proceeds to benefit the disadvantaged, and be recycled to preserve the planet.

If you would like to give clothing this holiday season, but you’re not sure where to start, here are three types of charity organizations that will appreciate what you have to give:

Military and Veterans Charities
Today there are millions of active and retired military members and their families who could use help, especially around the holidays. In addition to clothing donations, many of these charities also look for donations of new toys as gifts for the holidays. Find out if there are any military and veteran charities in your area, especially those that help out wounded and disabled veterans.

Family and Children’s Charities
It’s an unfortunate fact that many families are unable to afford what they need for the holidays. Giving clothing donations, especially for children in need, is a great way to help these families. Most needed during the winter are items such as coats, hats, scarves, mittens and gloves, and boots, plus warmer garments like sweaters and sweatshirts, so be sure to give those if you have them.

Green Charities
Finally, many charities today will use whatever they can get to ensure that nothing heads to the landfill. Many green charities will give away as much as they can before deciding to sell their clothing in thrift stores or recycle it. As much as 20% of clothing donated gets sold in secondhand shops, and virtually all clothing donations can be either salvaged or recycled.

Above all, make sure to look into local charity organizations first. There’s a good chance that there are people right in your area who need help, and donating to a local cause is a great way to help out. Do you have suggestions for donating or questions about giving? Leave a comment below.

Categories
Donations to purple heart Veterans clothing donations Wounded veterans charities

Where to Start with Donating to Charity Without Spending Any Money

When we think of making donations to charity, we often think of the grand gestures made by celebrities who donate millions to worthy causes or to keep great parks open and organizations running. We also see the generosity of large organizations that donate their charitable offerings, making huge impacts in communities for generations to come. However, many of us should consider that we can make a huge impact on many worthy causes just by making non-cash charitable donations.

These contributions, often overlooked, can make just as significant a difference in the lives of those who need it the most. Whether big or small, each act of giving has the power to transform someone’s future. Whether you donate clothes for people experiencing homelessness, food for orphans, or home appliance and furniture donations for families, your generosity and charitable offering can go a long way toward making a difference in our society.

At your local community center, you could inquire about the best charities for children in need of assistance. You could find several that take donations for your old computers and books and even ask for a little of your time to volunteer. Your kindness can change the trajectory of someone’s life and turn what seemed like a hopeless situation into a better one without spending any money.

Clothes donations

In 2012 alone, people in the United States gave over $300 billion to charitable organizations. Not all of that money was actual money — some came from goods donated at local schools, for example. A more accurate way to report the figure would be to say that total donations amounted to $300 billion, and it’s an important distinction to make. People sometimes get a notion that in order to make a difference, they have to give some kind of tax-deductible charity write-off, and that’s just not true.

Of course, money is still the most immediate way to affect change in any charity’s agenda. But Americans haven’t particularly had the best decade themselves, with stock market plunges and housing market crashes littering the landscape even today. That’s why it’s crucial to find the ways you can help out charities in your area that are looking for donations without having to give any actual money. For example, you could…

Donate clothes.

What You Can Do: Look for the blue donation bins around your town or city, pack up your old clothes and textiles and plop them in. It’s really just as easy as that. And don’t worry about your old pair of ripped jeans — those might not be sold, but they might be able to be broken down to make cloth wipes. If you can, find the organizations that focus on fostering growth, like the ones devoted to helping disabled veterans.

Why It Matters: When you make clothing donations, you might just be helping a vet pay for his next round of medical bills. You might be helping give a homeless person a bed for the night. Whatever you’re doing, you’re making a real difference.

Donate food.

What You Can Do: How many times have you walked into a supermarket and seen a donation bin labeled “Canned Goods Only” or something like that? The sign means what it says — all you have to do is drop in a non-perishable food item. Canned fruits and vegetables are a good place to start.

Why It Matters: A can of corn or beans or peaches can go a long way to someone who hasn’t had a proper meal in weeks because of poverty and homelessness. Again, it might be another step toward helping disabled veterans.

Donate your time.

What You Can Do: You might think a VA hospital would be an intimidating place, but it’s really just filled with men and women looking for someone to spend a little time with them.

Why It Matters: All it takes to make someone’s day inside a medical facility is smile at them, but if you want to go the extra mile, strike up a conversation. Find out about their families. Write them letters. You’re doing more than just helping disabled veterans — you’re helping people.

Remember that there other ways to contribute besides just by giving money. For a list of local organizations to get involved with, find out more about what’s going on in your community. For more information see this: www.gogreendrop.com