Clothing is an essential need often overlooked by the population due to our lifestyle. Everyone wears clothes, which ultimately means that old or damaged clothing gets thrown out with the trash. Giving away your unwanted clothing is a great way to contribute to the community and help others who may not have the income to spend on new clothing. The average American purchases up to 10 pounds of previously used clothing every year. The textile recycling industry helps employ around 17,000 Americans throughout the country. Thanks to the help of generous Americans, an estimated $5.8 billion worth of clothing was donated to charity foundations in 2007. Here are all the reasons you should need to want to give.
Waste
Each year there is an estimated 12 million tons of clothing and textiles thrown into U.S. landfills each year. Up to 90% of that wasted clothing could have been recycled as clothing donations. When asked why many people don’t donate, most respondents did not know where to donate their used clothing. As a response to this there are many charities that will pick up donations regularly as an added service to help ensure that no family has to go without clean, warm clothing.
Helping Those in Need
Put simply, clothing donations help families in need. Families like those of veterans who are often too quickly forgotten. A number of veterans charities have developed to provide assistance to the 9.9% of veterans unemployed as of 2012. Over 25% of military families in the United States already have over $10,000 in credit card debt. Veterans charities don’t only just clothe the needy, but they help them to find opportunities and jobs to get on their feet and live a comfortable life. We all have the power to give and help others; if you were in their position you would want someone to do the same.
