Americans are very generous people. Most of us like to help others and want to find ways to give back to our communities. Even if we do not have the time to volunteer or the money to donate, there are ways we can help other people. It is easier than ever to make clothing donations as many charities will work with you to set up a used clothing pick up. There are a lot of good things that come from used clothing donations.
Donated clothes can help people directly. When a disaster strikes, many people are often left with nothing. They may need clothing. Non profit organizations always need cash but in these circumstances, they can also use your used clothing donations to help people impacted by a major storm, fire or other disaster.
Making charitable clothing donations is good for the environment. People in the United States send 12 million tons of used clothing and other textiles to landfills every year. A lot of that used clothing can be used by other people. Clothes donations can go to help other people but clothes that are thrown away just end up adding to global warming and do no one any good. Scheduling a used clothing pick up can make a world of difference for other people and reduce your carbon footprint.
- Donating used clothes helps us become more organized. If you are like most people, you have a lot of stuff in your home that you do not use. If you have clothing in your closet that you have not worn for two seasons or more, the time has come to schedule a used clothing pick up and get rid of some of that. If you have children and they have grown out of their old winter attire, that can always be used by families. Other people get clothing they need and you get more space in your closet. That is a win-win.
- Donating clothes to charity helps fund their operations. Many charities that have use clothing pick ups also run consignment shops to fund their operations. These funds are used for a variety of programs that benefit people in the community. Whatever clothing items they do not give to help people directly is sold in these consignment shops.
- When we donate clothing and household items, we reduce our tax bills. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats clothing donations and donations of household items the very same way they treat monetary donations. If you schedule a used clothing pick up and the items are worth, collectively, more than $250, you will need to include a receipt. Used men’s winter coats are typically assigned a value of $60. A used coffee maker that still works is usually valued at between $10 and $15.
- Donation drives can raise employee morale. To maximize your donation, consider running a clothing donation drive at work. You can work with charities in the areas to schedule a used clothing pick up and help a lot of people. Many people prefer to work at a place that gives back to the community. This is a three-fer; the charity gets clothing that helps the people they serve, morale is increased and people get a tax benefit.
- Giving back strengthens the entire community. People like living in communities where people look out for each other. When you give your used clothing to charity, you strengthen bonds in your community. You help create an environment where more people donate to charity and more people are helped. This makes people feel better about themselves and the community where they live.
- Giving back helps us. There are several sociological studies that show when we are generous to others, we gain something in the long run. It may not be from the person or entity to which we gave something but we will benefit at some point. Moreover we inspire other people to do the same.
Making used clothing donations is one thing we all can do to help people in our communities and elsewhere. Most people have clothes in their closet that they never wear, donating these items to charity is a great way to help others.