Doing some spring cleaning and have bags full of clothes you don’t know what to do with? Don’t throw them out! Old clothes are 5% of America’s waste every year. Besides, there are better (and greener) alternatives for your gently used clothing. Add your bags to the 4.7 billion pounds of clothes that Americans donate every year! These clothes go to the disabled, poor, homeless, and veterans. Clothing donation is a great way to give back (and to teach your children to give back!). Besides, almost 100% of all clothing and fabric that gets tossed in the garbage every year could have been recycled or repurposed in some other way. By leaving your clothes at say, a Purple Heart donation pick up center, you could be giving someone else the clothes they need for work, school, or every day wear. You could be making a difference.
Where Can I Donate?
If this is your first time donating clothing, you may wonder where you should start. In truth, the options are limitless. You could bring your clothes to a Purple Heart donation pick up location for veterans, at a clothing drop off for a thrift store like The Salvation Army or Goodwill, or any number of charity foundations for children and adults alike. If you have a homeless shelter in your area, it doesn’t hurt to inquire there either–many times they need household goods or gently used clothing as well. If you can’t afford to give money to charity organizations, you may be able to give the things you don’t need anymore, and still feel good about giving back.
Why Should I Donate?
First and foremost, know that donating your clothing can change someone else’s life. Think about the little girl who needs shoes to wear to school. Your child’s shoes could make a huge difference in her life. Or the mother who is going without a coat because she can’t afford to buy one and pay for groceries. Or the veteran who is struggling to find a new job, but can’t afford a suit or a pair of dress pants to wear to an interview. You’re helping others make a positive change in their life by donating.
Secondly, donating clothes keeps them out of the landfills. So you’re not only helping a person, you’re also helping the environment! It decreases pollution and the waste piling up in landfills. Clothing and other textiles make up about 5% of the waste that’s in landfills today. And unfortunately, those clothes and textiles could have gone to someone in need, instead of rotting away in a landfill.
Donating may also give you a cut on your taxes, depending on what you donate and which organizations you donate to. However, the most important part is to donate out of generosity and because you want to give back.
Help build a culture of philanthropy. Think of all the people who have helped you during a time you couldn’t do it on your own. Making a donation–whether it’s monetary or in goods like clothing or household items–can really change lives. Go find a Purple Heart donation pick up location or a local thrift store and make a difference today.
