Many people in the United States like to give back to their community. Not everyone has the time to volunteer or the money to donate. What most people have are clothes they know they will never wear again. some assume that because they do not like an article of clothing, no one will want to wear it. The truth of the matter is “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Many people can help others by donating clothes to charity. This is really a two-fer, when you donate to clothing to charity, you help others and you get to straighten your closets.
- Start by finding a place that promotes donating clothing to charity. Not all non-profits accept clothing donations. If you know people who have made such donations to charity, you can ask them. If you do not know any, you can also look online. Your best bet is to go with a charity or non-profit in or near your city or town. This will make it a lot easier to get your items to them. When you are looking for a place to donate your used clothes, ask if pick up clothing donations. That can make it easy for you to put together a clothing drive at your work or home. Some people have contests for who can bring in the most items to donate to charity.
- Look up your local homeless shelter. See if they distribute clothig to the people who use their services. Many people who become homeless lose a lot of their belongings and need new (for them) clothing. Keep in mind how many children are homeless and need the items your kids have out grown. On that same note, you can give to shelters for abused women, men and children.
- Talk to your church, temple or synagogue. They may have programs that help members of that community. By donating clothing to charity this way, the likelihood is good that you are directly helping people you know. That can be rewarding.
- Go through the closets in your home. Have your children grown out of their clothes? Winter coats? Do you have old prom dresses? Do you have business clothes that you do not think you will ever use again? There is a special need for more “unique” clothing. You may be surprised by how many people need these items. When you do this you are really helping families in need.
- Pick a day to go through all of your closets. You can save time donating clothing to charity if you go through your stuff (you can also donate working household items) and setting aside all of the clothing and items you no longer use.
- Clean and sort all of your clothing. Before you donate clothes or household items to charity, you want to make sure it is clean and that it works. You do not want to make other people go through your dirty clothes. The coffee pot that you cannot use and therefore you do not want it, helps no one. You should throw out anything that does not work or is ruined. If you no longer want clothes because you have outgrown them or no longer like the color or style, you should donate it. If it is badly ripped, you should ;toss or recycle it. You should also go through your items and sort them by type. When you bring in or have your donation picked up, the items should be on hangers or be folded. You can ask the charity what they prefer in terms of folding or hanging your clothing.
- Go through all pockets. You would be surprised at how many people leave money and other items in their pockets. Check them all before you donate (or toss) any articles of clothing. This is also the time to make sure your items do not have any sharp objects (pins, staples, etc.).
Donating clothing to charity can make a world of difference to people in need. Whether they are going through some financial issues or if they have gone through a major emergency such as a fire or flood, many people need to replace all the clothing they have lost. By donating items, you help people right away.
