Category: Used clothing donations

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5 Reasons to Donate Clothing to Charity

Charitable giving is extremely popular throughout the United States. In fact, research shows that 70% of people throughout the United States donate items to charity each year. However, you might be wanting to learn more about the benefits of donating your clothes. With that in mind, here are five important reasons to donate your old clothes to charity.

  • Getting Rid of Cluttered Spaces

    Many people donate clothing to get rid of the clutter in their respective homes. Numerous studies show that living in cluttered spaces makes people feel stressed out and even depressed. Fortunately, you can avoid dealing with these negative feelings by removing clutter throughout your home. In turn, you’ll be able to live in a space that’s free from clutter.

  • Helping Less Fortunate Individuals

    It’s important to understand how your Red Cross clothing donations help others. Your donated clothing could reach those who live in other countrie

    Continue reading “5 Reasons to Donate Clothing to Charity”
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Alternative Donation Ideas for Red Cross Clothing Pick Up

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Are you among the 70% of Americans that make charitable donations each year? The answer is most likely yes. Charitable donations are the heart of what it means to be an American citizen, and each day there are countless stories of Americans showing their community some much needed brotherly or sisterly love. This is especially true in time of crisis, such as the aftermath of natural disaster.

If you’re looking for ways to volunteer and become more involved in your community but aren’t sure how to go about doing so or where to start, then you may want to consider Red Cross clothing pick up services. Used clothing donations are needed now more than ever, and it’s a great way to make a big impact on the lives of those in your community.

When most people think of volunteer work, Red Cross clothing pick up may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Cleaning up litter, spending time with veterans, and donating financial resources are common ways to give back, but did you know that choosing to donate clothing can be just as impactful?

When you donate clothes to Red Cross, you’re charitable act impacts both people and the environment in many positive ways. According to the Council for Textile Recycling, the average American citizen discards of 70 pounds of clothing each year. Furthermore, the U.S. EPA estimates that textile waste accounts for nearly 5% of space in landfills.

The environmental impact of clothing and textile waste is huge, but you can still make a big difference with clothes donations. Instead of throwing away old clothes, imagine what could happen if every American decided to recycle, reuse, or repurpose old clothing and linens? And perhaps your charitable act will inspire others in your community to do their part by taking advantage of Red Cross clothing pick up services.

Red Cross clothing pick up services make it easy and convenient to give back to your community. All you have to do is gather clothing you’d like to donate and coordinate a pick up time with the Red Cross. You don’t even have to be home, and they can even pick donations at your office or place of business! But articles of used or worn out clothing aren’t the only items you can donate. Here are a few other important textile items that can help those in need.

Outerwear

If you live in a climate that experiences cold winter weather, then donating warm coats, jackets, hats, and other kinds of outwear is especially important. Old coats and jackets often get lost in the folds of a closet, where they serve no purpose whatsoever. But donating these items to the Red Cross can help people in your community stay warm when during the winter, and the thought of that is sure to warm your heart.

Household linens

Did you know that you can also donate bedsheets, tablecloths, blankets, and rugs? Whether you’ve outgrown the pattern of your college bedsheets or you’ve changed your decor, donating household linens can those in need make their house into the home they deserve.

Professional or business casual clothing

In the world of clothing donations, there’s a great need for business casual and professional clothing items. If you have a power suit, professional footwear, and other dressy items that you’re no longer wearing, donating them can help someone in need land a new job.

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Trusting in Charitable Donations to Help Benefit the Greater Community in Need

Red cross clothing donations

As one of the largest first world nations, America has gained an international reputation as a consumer economy. Our need to purchase is not a point of criticism, but in fact the central driving gear to the wealth of our nation. With so many consumers however, it becomes only natural that waste occurs. The average American throws away around 4.5 pounds of trash every day — over the course of a year that averages out to be over 1,500 pounds of trash. Thanks in large part to a growing social awareness, many Americans are trying to minimize the scope of their impact through conservational efforts including recycling, cutting back on waste, and through charitable donations.

What Our Landfills Wear

Every year our nation consumes nearly 20 billion garments; this is equivalent to 68 garments and 7 pairs of shoes per person in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that Americans end up throwing away an average of 10 pounds of clothing per person every year. Studies suggest that of all garments thrown away, almost 100% could have been recycled, donated, or repurposed instead of being left to rot away in our over-crowded landfills. Although many of us have clothing buried in the recesses of our closet that we have not seen let alone wore in years, in an ironic twist there are hundreds of thousands of individuals who would gladly accept such unwanted garments to protect them from the elements. While the nature of our waste is immense, there are exemplars that make a conscious effort to instead practice generosity through used clothing donations.

The Generosity of Our Neighbors

In an increasingly large and diverse world, it is good to know that there are still those with respect, integrity, and love in their hearts — these people are the donors like you and I who are able to benefit countless lives thanks to the services provided through non-profit organizations. Non-profit thrift stores that accept donated goods are able to use the retail dollars generated from those donations in order support neighbors in need. Statistics from 2015 show that proceeds from the sale of clothes donations to thrift stores actually exceeded $2.5 million; these proceeds helped to support charitable programs both locally and nationwide. Around 70% of Americans give to charity on an annual basis with roughly 3% of American income going to charities every year. In return, non-profit organizations have helped to contribute an annual economic value of $666.1 billion to the United States economy. While many are certainly benefited by the tax-deductible donations, around 63% of high net worth donors have cited an altruistic motivation of benefiting the community as their chief motivation for giving.

Donating in Your Community

The number one reason most people choose not to donate goods is due to a lack of available donation sites in their area. There are a number of ways that non-profit organization are meeting this need for drop offs. American Red Cross clothing pick up services are popping up around the country in an effort to better serve the needy by streamlining the donation process. American Red Cross clothing pick up is a simple alternative to traditional drop offs; simply place a call and set up a pick up time and the American Red Cross clothing pick up service will gladly take your charitable donation to help benefit neighbors in need. Like other non-profit organizations, American Red Cross clothing donations help fund blankets, food, shelter, and blood drives that all help save lives. There are other ways that individuals can help those in need: volunteer your time to a homeless shelter, donate non-perishable canned goods during collection times, make a cash donation (every little bit helps), or simply take time to get to know those individuals that need your help — sometimes a friend to talk to is what someone really needs. Check online to see if there is an American Red Cross clothing pick up service in your area to see what you can do to help neighbors in need.

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Want to Make an Impact? Consider Donating Your Gently Used Clothes to Charity

Clothing donations

Is your closet just positively overflowing? Have you got numerous bags in your basement stacked chock full of clothes your kids have outgrown? Are you wondering what to do with all the clothing items you don’t want? Have you ever considered doing a Red Cross clothing pickup? This is not only a great way to give back to those in need, it’s a great way to clean out your closets. Instead of throwing those perfectly serviceable clothes away, give them a second chance at life, by donating them to charity. Someone desperately in need of a new winter coat, nice outfit for work or an interview, or new school clothes may be able to give them a second life. This is also a great way to get the little ones involved in giving back — they may get a huge kick out of donating their clothes and toys that are gently used.
Why Should I Participate in a Red Cross Clothing Pickup?
For one thing, you’re guaranteed that a Red Cross clothing pickup is legitimate.
The Red Cross is devoted to giving relief to those who need 24/7, no matter if it’s a weekend, holiday, or an ungodly hour of the night. They deliver services like distributing blankets, food, blood, shelter, and even medicine in some cases to families and larger communities who need it. They’re often one of the first responders on the scene of a disaster, such a natural disaster wracked community.
And even though the American National Red Cross is the 13th largest charity in the United States (per private donations), it still needs our help to carry out its mission of good.
Why Should I Give Back?
When everyone chips in and does their part, a community can be a wonderful, vibrant place, supporting those in need and fostering a reciprocal, caring environment. The idea of paying it forward is definitely real and you never know when a good deed can come back when you need one down the road!
It’s also just part of being a good human being. Every person deserves to have enough food to eat, clean and sanitary water to drink, access to good hygiene measures, and warm, dry clothes. Donating items that you’ll never use, but that are still in good condition, and other such items helps make that road easier for many people.
How is Making Clothes Donations Useful?
Sure, giving money is incredibly helpful. But donating clothes, actual items, can often be a more direct way to get your donation right to the source. During a winter coat drive, for example, you know the coat you donate is going to be used by someone who needs a winter coat. With monetary donations, a part does go to fund the administrative aspects of running the charitable organization, and while that’s necessary, many people would prefer that all of their donations go directly to those who really need it.
Used clothing donations can also be used by charitable organizations to generate revenue, by reselling the clothes at lower prices in their stores. Much of that money is turned right back around used to fund programs or services the charitable organization runs. When you donate clothes, an estimated 80% of these go through said charitable organizations who give it those in need or who use it to help fund programs and services, as previously stated.
Furthermore, donating your clothes (or scheduling a Red Cross clothing pickup) is environmentally friendly as well! According to the EPA (Environmental Protection), we throw out about ten pounds of clothes every year. That’s a lot of people throwing a lot of perfectly good clothing and other textiles in our landfills every year, when much of could be reworn or repurposed. What a waste! Save billions of tons of fabric from the landfill by simply donating it.
If you want to give back, but aren’t sure what’s the best way, or you don’t have too much money to give, try donating your clothes! Everyone benefits: you get a cleaner closet, someone in need gets new clothing to wear, and a little bit less ends up in the dump. Win-win, all around!

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Want to Help Others? Here Are 7 Reasons to Donate Your Used Clothing to Charity

Clothes donations

If you are like most people, you like helping others and giving back to your community. More than 70% of people across the United States make charitable donations every year. A good deal of these are Red Cross clothes donations. Making used clothing donations is a great way to help others. Here are some reasons you should consider giving your used clothing to charity.

  1. You help other people directly. When disaster strikes, many people are often left with nothing but the clothes they are wearing when they are told they need to evacuate an area. While monetary donations are often needed the most by large non-profits, when you make Red Cross clothes donations, the items you give can go directly to people who have lost everything. If you also have blankets or bedding that can often be used after big natural disaster like a flood, hurricane or tornadoes strike an area.
  2. You donations allow the non-profit to pay for its operations. Many non-profit organizations run consignment shops to help fund their operations. Many times, Red Cross clothes donations are used this way. Charities provide a wide array of services that help people in the community who need it. The funds raised by selling the clothes that have been donated help them provide those services and employ people to do the work that needs to be done. Every year, non-profits put more than $660 million back into the American economy. Consignment shops brought in more than $2.5 million in 2015. This money was used to fund local and national programs.
  3. You get a more organized house. Most people around the United States have closets and storage spaces that are full of stuff they no longer use. If your children have outgrown their clothes and you have no one to hand them down to, you should consider whether you want to make a clothing donation. Organizing experts recommend people go through their clothing every year and check for items that they no longer wear or need. If you have had an outfit that has gone unworn for two seasons or more, it is time to get rid of it.
  4. You can lower your tax bill. When you donate clothes the Red Cross, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats the donation the same way they treat a monetary donation. If your Red Cross clothes donation is worth more than $250, you will need to include a receipt. A used man’s overcoat is generally given a value of $60 or more, to give you an idea of what you can mark the value of the items you donate. It is aways a good idea to keep good records of all of your donations throughout the year so you have all of your paperwork ready when you go to compile and file your taxes.
  5. You inspire others. We are all influenced by the people around us. Sociologists and others note that when people see others acting in a certain way, they are more likely to act in the same way. Your example will inspire other people to donate as well. In that way, your good deeds get magnified over and over. If you have children, this is a great way to teach them the value of helping others.
  6. You reduce your carbon footprint. It has been estimated that the typical American throws away about ten pounds of clothing items every year. Those items end up in a landfill where they do nothing to help anyone and they add to the worldwide problem of global warming. The space they take up is also very valuable. You can help others and keep material out of landfills by donating your clothes to charity.
  7. It is easy! If you cannot get to the charity, they may be able to come to you. Many charities will pick up donations.

When you are donating clothing, you should make sure you clean and wash all of the items before you make your donation. Also, if you sort your items, you will make it a lot easier for the charity’s staff to go through and make the most of your kindness and generosity.

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Why Donating is So Helpful to Us as a People

Red cross clothing pick up

The “I have nothing to wear” phrase is commonly said, especially out of a woman’s mouth. However, with that usually means is more something like, “I’m sick of all my clothes.” If this is the case for you and you were looking to revamp your wardrobe I have the answer for where those fold clothes can go. You could donate clothes to Red Cross and other charities and they will be out of your hair and helping someone in need so everybody wins. Clothes donations are very needed and every time you donate clothes to Red Cross you were helping somebody less fortunate than you.

As a nation Americans go through almost 20,000,000,000 garments a year. That’s about 68 garments and seven pairs of shoes her person. Narrow that down even further and it’s a new piece of clothing each week. Because of how many new clothes that we buy all the time each person on average throws away 10 pounds of clothes per year. Now if we donate clothes to Red Cross that 10 pounds per person can really be put to good use.

Red Cross clothing donations are not the only thing that the Red Cross does. They also provide relief for families and communities by providing blankets, food, blood and shelter. You’re probably familiar with blood donations that the Red Cross does but it’s even more than that. There the 13th largest charity in the United States and pretty much anytime there’s a disaster you can count on seeing the American Red Cross there. When you’re donating to a charity you want to find one that you can believe in there cause and with the amount of different things that Red Cross does for people you’re bound to find something that can make you want to donate clothes to Red Cross.

Anytime you donate clothes you were helping someone else, yes, but there are personal benefits as well. It’s a great example to set for your children and those around you. Donating shows them that you value life and you value people even if you don’t know them. It’s important for the next generation to understand that people are important. To many humans don’t consider other people and become very inward focused and selfish. Even a small clothes donation can open your mind to the world of hurting people that you are personally investing in by donating those clothes or whatever it is that you were donating.

On the logical side of donating, another great reason to donate is that it is a tax break in the coming year. Make sure you get your receipt for whatever you don’t need and then you can put it on your tax forms next year and get a credit for it. So, even though the charity is not able to buy your items from you, technically the government will pay you for giving them away. This is a great motivation to gather up all of those household items that are still in great working condition but you just don’t use. Gently used clothing, kitchen appliances, shoes that are still in good condition and other items are all appreciated and acceptable.

If you are too busy to actually take the items to the charity drop off center that there are charities that can come and pick up your donations from your house. This is very convenient and you don’t even have to be home. If you box of her bag your items and leave them out on your porch or patio then you just need to schedule an appointment to have them picked up and the charity will do so at that time. Just make sure to confirm that they will leave the receipt in your mailbox for you.

There really is no excuse to donate. There’s no downside and no negative repercussions. There’s just a matter of getting it done. But once it is done you’ll be very glad that you participated in giving someone a better life. You can never regret donating items to charity, you will only feel the personal satisfaction and hope that you get from taking part in the bigger picture instead of focusing on your own problems.