Giving back — either within your community or in a larger scope — always feels good. Knowing that you’re paying forward your good fortune and helping someone in need is uplifting and fosters a sense of community and connection to the larger world. You also set a good example for your peers and children and can, by your actions, encourage others to follow in your philanthropic footsteps. One charity that’s particularly popular among many donors in the United States is the American National Red Cross, which is the thirteenth largest charity, per private donations. It received almost $700 million in private donations in 2014 and with that money, offers 24/7 care for families or communities who need their help, donating blankets, food, blood, and shelter. The charity also accepts more than monetary gifts — American Red Cross clothing donations are an easy and excellent way to give as well. This can be a great first step for a child who wants to donate themselves, but doesn’t have money to do so, for example.
Why Donate In the First Place?
Whether you’re making American Red Cross clothing donations regularly or give once a year around the holidays, donating to charity helps everyone. Around 70% of people give to charity annually and around 3% of income is donated to charities from Americans. Over 60% of donors who give large amounts credited wanting to give back to their community as one of their principal motives for donating. And given that on any given night in the United States, over 550,000 people were homeless, as of January 2015, the need is great.
Your donations can help people in need get back on their feet, get clothes that are clean and fresh for a job interview, or give them the necessary items (food, shelter, water), on a temporary basis that allows them to get by. Research has shown that giving makes people happier, and can even contribute to better emotional and spiritual balances as well. You may also be able to get a tax break when tax season rolls around, depending on the nonprofit status of the charity and how much you donated.
I’m Pretty Broke, But I Still Want to Give Back. What Else Can I Do?
There’s more to giving back than just monetary donations! Volunteering your time is one great way to give back — after work or school or on weekends, when you have free time is a great way to get closer to your community and people in need. Soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other organizations always need extra hands.
Making American Red Cross clothing donations is another great way to give back. However, you don’t just have to make American Red Cross clothing donations — plenty of other charitable organizations also welcome gently used clothing, and you know that your donation is being put to good use. A child may get a new winter coat or pair of boots that he or she desperately needs, for example.
What Are Other Benefits When I Donate Clothes?
Used clothing donations are also particularly good for cleaning out our own closets. As a country, we buy almost 20 billion items of clothing annually — per person, that means an individual buys around 68 pieces of clothing and seven pairs of shoes a year. We definitely don’t need all that and there are some people who desperately need the items that hang around in the back of our closet gathering dust.
Moreover, donating your clothes instead of simply just throwing them out can have a positive impact on the environment too. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we throw out about ten pounds of clothing every year — that’s 12 million tons of clothing in the landfill annually! However, giving clothes a new life as secondhand goods can help cut down that number drastically.
Do a world of good by donating your gently used clothes to a charity! Many charities will even offer a clothing donation pickup or provide a drop off center for donor convenience. Clean out your closet, give back to the community, and save the environment, all in one!
