Are You Ready to Help Someone Who Is Less Fortunate Than You?

We live in a time when many Americans find themselves in great need. In a time when the government is threatening to take important funding away from the very programs that have been in place for years to help those who are the most in need. A time when even the basics of public education seem to be at risk for those who are looking for a way to find a way out of the life of poverty that they have been trapped in for generations.
And while there are many who are struggling to make ends meet, there are also many who have far more than they need. If you find yourself in the advantageous spot of having far more than what you need, you might make the decision to share some of the many items that you do not use. Whether you want to make clothing donations or give gently used household items, places that accept Red Cross donations can help get the items to those who are most in need. Consider some of these items that could be of use to someone who is in far greater need than you are:

• A barely new set of sheets that no longer match the color scheme of your guest room.
• Boxes of children and young adult titles that your children used to like to read when they were young.
• Charity collection centers accept Red Cross donations that encompass everything from clothing for infants to overcoats for old men.
• Dozens of pairs of shoes that you no longer wear because they no longer match the fashion of the day.
• Extra pieces of winter clothing that have been stored in boxes on the top shelf of the laundry room closet.
• Fishing rods, tackle, and the other kinds of equipment that you used to use very often, but now no longer have time for.
• Gloves, hats, mittens, and other cold weather accessories that could be of use to those who struggle to stay warm on the coldest days of the winter.
• Handbags, small purses, and other carrying parcels that are perfectly good, but are no longer used.
• Items that are always welcome at clothing donations centers are new packages of socks. You know, those ones that you bought on sale, but never even opened!
• Just because you cannot get out to drop off your unused items, does not mean that you cannot make contributions to places that accept Red Cross donations. In fact, many used clothing donations can be collected at your house by simply scheduling a household item or clothing donation pickup time.
• Knitting needles, crochet hooks, and other craft supplies that used to be a part of the days when your mother used to spend her long weekends at your home.
• Lamps, vases, and other home decorator items.
• Making the decision to donate clothing means that you are willing to take the time to sort through your crowded dresser drawers and closets.
• New or barely used towels and other bathroom accessories.
• Ocean themed decorations that were once a part of the downstairs front room decorating scheme, but have now been tossed into a box that was moved to the basement months ago.
• People today tend to purchase things in excess. In fact, Americans consume as many as 20 billion garments a year. That equals 68 garments and seven pairs of shoes a person, or the same as more than one piece of clothing purchased every single week.
• Quilts, blankets, and other warm items can be great Red Cross donations.
• Robes, slippers, and other comfortable clothing items.
• Soap, shampoo, and razors.
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as other personal care items, can be a great benefit to the 564,708 people are homeless on any given night in the U.S.
• Umbrellas, rain boots, and other outdoor weather wear clothing items.
• Violins, flutes, and other musical items that can still be of use to other families less fortunate.
• Watering cans and other gardening tools can be especially valuable to a family who is trying to raise some of their own produce.
• Xylophones, stacking blocks, and other toys that are no longer used in your house any longer.
• Yellow flowers made of silk and all of the other party decorations that you purchased, but never used.
• Zoo stuffed animals that are every size from small to large.