Giving to charities, such as a Red Cross donation center, has become more and more popular over the years. In fact, in just one year in the United States alone, around seventy percent of the total population will choose to donate to charity at least once – and many more than once. Of the total income of people living in the United States, just under five percent of the annual amount is directed towards charity organizations, both through direct donations as well as donated goods. People donate to charity for a number of reasons and internal motivations. For one, it helps out the community. When surveyed, giving back to the community was one of the most popular reasons for donating to charity, and was a key motivation for more than sixty percent of all donors.
But for those who do not necessarily have the funds to give to charity, making a donation may seem difficult. Fortunately, donations come in many forms. Donating used articles of clothing, for example, is a great way to make a positive impact. A Red Cross donation center is a perfect place to donate clothes, as any Red Cross donation center will directly funnel the clothes to those who are in need of them. As the American Red Cross provides charitable services every day of the year, providing not only clothes and shelter but blood, food, and blankets to the needy in the community, a Red Cross donation center is likely to always be in need of as many clothing donations as is possible.
If this isn’t enough of a reason to donate clothing, consider what happens to your clothes when you are done with them. If you simply choose to throw them away, as many of us have done in the past without really thinking about the repercussions of it, they are likely to end up in a landfill somewhere. And as people living in the United States consume more and more clothes (as many as twenty billion garments in just one year – around seventy articles of clothing per person) than ever before, it is no wonder that this has become a growing problem with each passing year. In fact, the EPA – or Environmental Protection Agency – has estimated that for every person in the United States, around ten pounds of clothing is discarded.
Used clothing donations can also be beneficial to the person who is choosing to donate the clothes. After all, clothes create clutter and for someone who is living in a relatively small space (such as a college student), donating clothes is a way to minimize the mess and open up more space for use. It can be difficult to part with your clothing, but there’s a good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to choosing which articles of clothing to donate. If you live in a two season climate, clothes should be donated whenever six months have passed without use. In a climate with four seasons, this deadline can be extended a bit – but not by much. If you don’t wear something or it does not fit correctly anymore, it may be time to say goodbye.
A Red Cross donation center is a great place to donate your used articles of clothing. Used clothing given to a Red Cross donation center is an easy way to give back to your community, as that clothing will go to directly help those who are in need within it. Donating your used articles of clothing to a Red Cross donation center is also a great and simple way to take strides to protect the environment, minimizing the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills every single year.
