5 Facts You May Not Have Known About Giving Families and Veterans Clothing Donations

Do you ever wonder about how you can help others in your area? Are you looking for the best charities to donate to? Is the environment one of your main concerns? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’re in the right place, and it’s time to learn about how you can give in your community.

There are a number of different causes that anyone can give to these days. For example, giving veterans clothing donations and helping families in need are two ways that you can make an impact in your community. Here are a few of the reasons why donating clothing is so vital in so many different communities.

• Americans waste far more than any other nation. In total, Americans produce around 230 million tons of waste each year. About 12 to 13 million tons of that waste is clothing and textile trash. Those items, however, could have been salvaged an estimated 95% of the time, making this a needless type of pollution.
• Clothing is easy to reuse and recycle. Even though so much clothing winds up in the landfill, there are plenty of items that — thankfully — make it to charity. Used clothing donations account for about 14.3 million tons of donations throughout the world.
• Many of the items you donate will be resold. Approximately 20% of all donated clothing is turned over to secondhand stores — or thrift shops. These stores often support specific charity foundations or are meant to support causes in their communities. For instance, giving veterans clothing donations may also mean supporting programs that put veterans to work. This helps ensure that they can support their families.
• Some charity organizations are using some unconventional models for collecting donations. Most people are familiar with thrift and secondhand stores. Yet some groups are looking not only to recycle clothing but to recycle buildings, as well. For example, there are more than 50,000 abandoned gas stations in the U.S. that have been left empty since 1991, says the National Association of Convenience Stores. Not only can these buildings be repurposed, but they can also be used to help the community.
• Donating is good for you, too. Not only will you feel better clearing out the clutter in your home, but there are other advantages to helping others. One is that you may be able to receive a tax writeoff for your donation. This will help lower your tax bill at the end of the year. You also get the satisfaction of knowing that giving families and veterans clothing donations will help in a number of ways.

Want to know more about how donating to charity helps you and other people? Leave a comment in the space provided.