if you want to give back to your community, it has never been easier to make donations. If you have old clothes that you do not wear any more, you might want to consider making clothing donations to charity. You do not even have to take them yourself, there are many charities that pick up donations.
Making clothing donations does a lot more than you might think and there are many reasons to make them.
It is good for the environment. Americans throw away 12 million tons of clothing every year. You would save your clothes from that fate in a landfill by making donations to charities that pick up donations. Compared with the two millions tons that we donate to charity. We can donate more used clothing which can be given to people who need it or sold in consignment shops to run the charities. It has been estimated that nearly 90%of the clothes that are thrown away could be recycled and used by someone else.
You give your old and unwanted clothes a second life with used clothes donations. You may not want to wear that old dress but as they say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” When your kids grow out of their winter coats they can go for helping families in need. These donations can be used immediately by the people who need them. Many military families rely on used clothing donations to clothe their family. Your contribution of your items can make a big difference in someone’s life. Talking to charities that pick up donations after a major storm or natural disaster can have an immediate and lasting impact.
You can clean out your closet by making clothing donations to charity. Organizing experts recommend cleaning out your closet twice a year. Any clothing that you have not worn in at least two seasons can be thrown away. You may want to keep your wedding dress but as Tim Gunn says, “Do you really need that old turtle neck shirt?” Going through your closet can also help you find old gems that maybe you forgot you had. If you have lost weight, getting rid of your bigger clothes can help you keep that weight off.
You can organize your friends and coworkers. If you call one of the charities that pick up donations, you can set a day and time for that and then pool your networks to maximize your donations. Some companies have donation drive several times a year to encourage team building and improve the company’s standing with the community. It also offers a good public relations opportunity.
Donating clothes and other items is medically good for you. When people donate their time or stuff, they get a “helper’s high.” This is the “feel good feeling” people have when they help others. You can start by contacting the local charities that pick up donations and see what their policies are for this kind of thing. People who help others have also been known to have lower stress levels and suffer less from chronic conditions such as HIV and multiple sclerosis. When you do good deeds for others you can also reduce your stress level.
You can get a tax break. Your clothes are valuable to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If you make donations over $500, you have to have them appraised. Make sure the charity where you donate gives you detailed receipts for any and all of your donations of goods or clothing items. This can be good for your soul and bottom line.
Giving generates good will in the community. Several studies show that people who donate their time and items get that back at some point. This is not from the person or entity to whom they gave but the positive vibe translates into good energy in the universe and that does come back to the donation giver.
There are a lot of reasons to make donations to charity. You can always drop off your donation to the non profit. You can also make it easy on yourself by contacting local charities that pick up donations. You will feel better about yourself and will help make the world a better place in the process.
