Are you thinking about how to give children in need clothing? There are a lot of good reasons to give children in need clothing, and there are also some best practices to make sure your clothing donations do the most good for both the needy and for you.
Why Donate?
Is it worth it to make used clothing donations? Here are a few things to consider:
- You get to organize and free up your space when you make donations to non profit organizations. We could all use more space in our home, and one way of getting it is getting rid of the extra stuff that’s taking up space and cluttering everything. It also helps if you need to make room for a new baby, have to downsize, or the kids are growing up and you have a lot of their old things to clear out.
- You are helping families in need when you donate. The most vulnerable in our communities are helped by the organizations that accept your donations. This includes many military families, and even the poor in other countries.
- Donating is good for the environment. The recovery rate for home textiles and clothes in America in 2011 was only just over 15%. And while the EPA estimates about 75% of all solid waste could be recycled, we’re actually only recycling about 30%. Clothing that isn’t recycled ends up in landfills, and landfills are terrible places for them to decompose because they are trapped in the pile without enough oxygen, so they generate greenhouse gases as they go.
- You set a good example for your children and your community. Children need adults to teach them what thoughtfulness and value are all about. Seeing that you care enough to give children in need clothing, and that you care enough to do it right, tells them something about how to consider others rather than just toss their things away.
How to Prepare Your Donation
If you want to give children in need clothing, you’ll want to do it right. Here are some tips on the best way to prepare your clothing donations for charity pick up or a drop off.
- Wash everything before you send. No one wants clothes that stink or are covered in dirt. Clean clothes are easier for volunteers to go through and are ready to be useful.
- Check all your pockets. Once you’ve sent it off, you won’t have access to it again. Make sure you get out any keys, notes, receipts, or anything else that you might need later.
- Label things if you can. It will really help the volunteers at the charity if you’ve done some basic labeling. This can be by types (“shoes,” “shirts,” “textiles) or it can be by age or style (“boy’s 8-9,” “women’s size 8-10,” “pajamas”).
- Make a list if you want a receipt. You can get a tax write off for items you donate, but if you donate more than $250 worth of goods you’ll need a receipt for it. If you’ve already made a list of everything you’re giving, it’ll be easy to fill out the receipt when you get to a donation center. The last thing you want to do is have to take everything out of the bags because you can’t remember what you brought.
be a good neighbor, a good citizen, and set a good example for your kids. There are few things you can do in life more meaningful than giving children in need clothing, so why not see what you have to donate today?