Though the U.S. economy may be doing better than it was back in 2008 and 2009 during the Great Recession, there are still thousands of Americans struggling just to get by. Many would be surprised to learn that many of these people are veterans and military families, while others just your everyday average joes living below the poverty line. Because so many people are struggling to earn a living to provide for their families, organizations have begun popping up across the U.S. with the sole purpose of helping families in need. Many of these organizations work tirelessly to provide clothing, food, and job hunting assistance.
Despite reports that the economy is doing alright, there are still a lot of people who are unemployed, underemployed, or working a handful of different part time jobs just to pay the bills. People are struggling, and this is especially true for veterans. For some reason, veterans seem to struggle with unemployment more than regular citizens. For example, in 2012 the unemployment rate for U.S. veterans was 9.9%. For veterans between the ages of 18 and 24, the unemployment rate was a shocking 20.4% in 2012!
As of March 2013, more nearly 207,000 veterans were still searching for jobs. These veterans and their families, along with the countless other Americans trapped in the throes of unemployment and poverty deserve better, and the need help. Which is why it’s so great that there are charities and organizations helping families in need in the U.S.
Clothing in particular is in high demand among the poverty stricken. Because of this, many organizations and charities accept clothing donations which, if you think about it, is actually really good for the environment. Donating clothing is essentially just recycling it. It keeps clothing items out of landfills and helps fuel the operation of an entire industry, the textile recycling industry. Because more and more people are beginning to donate clothing they no longer want or need, the textile recycling industry is growing and even supplies jobs to an estimated 17,000 people across the U.S. Just home much clothing is being donated each year? In 2007 alone, about $5.8 billion worth of clothing donations were made, while 2 million tons of clothing and textiles were donated or recycled in 2011!
Unfortunately, there are still people who throw away their clothing and textiles instead of donating them. Many of the clothes and textiles thrown away, about 90% to be precise, is usually in good enough condition that it could have been donated or recycled. Instead, about 12 millions tons of clothing and textiles are being thrown away each year in the U.S.
Even as the U.S. economy continues to heal since the Great Recession, there are still many Americans struggling financially and need help providing basic necessities, like clothing, for themselves and their families. Thankfully, there are charities and organizations out there helping families in need, but even average Americans can help out by making charitable donations of clothing and even food and money to their local charities.
