7 Great Reasons to Donate Your Used Clothing to Charity

The people in the United States are generous. It has been estimated that at least 70% of us donate to charities every year. Nearly 3% of all income in the country is given to charities. Many people want to give back to their community but they cannot afford to donate money and they do not have the time to volunteer. The good news is that most of us have items in our closets that we or our family is never going to wear again. That is where Red Cross clothes donations come in. Here are some of the good things we do when we make used clothing donations:

1. You help people directly. The United States sees blizzards, hurricanes, and tornadoes. When we are not being bombarded with them, we have earthquakes and wildfires to contend with. When people are in one of these disasters, they are often forced out of their home with nothing but the clothing on their back. This is where Red Cross clothes donations are so important. Some charities and organizations only take money but in times like these, clothing can be used immediately to help people who have lost everything.
2. You make it possible for people to clothe their families. For people who are getting back on their feet, Red Cross clothes donations can make all of the difference. That is because many Red Cross locations have consignment shops where low-income people go to buy clothing for their families. These are often the only places people can afford to go to get the clothing they need.
3. Charities depend on used clothing donations to keep their door open. American Red Cross clothing donations are often sold in the charity’s consignment shop. The money that is brought in by the sales of used clothing donations goes to all of the important programs they provide for the community. They rely on donations to get the funding they need to do the very good work that they do.
4. Your used clothing help people and does not hurt the environment. When a biodegradable material is deprived of oxygen, it has to resort to an anaerobic method of decomposition. When that happens, the decomposition process produces carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. These are the main drivers of global warming on the planet. Moreover, when you throw a shirt away, a new shirt has to be made. When you donate it, you keep it in circulation. That is a win-win.
5. Your items will not end up in a landfill. Landfill real estate is very expensive to maintain and takes away from other things that land could be used for. It has been estimated that Americans send 10.5 million tons of used clothing and textiles to landfills every year. You can not be a part of that cycle by donating your clothing to charity, where someone else can use it.
6. You will lower your tax debt. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) views Red Cross clothes donations the same way it looks at donations of cash. When you make your donations, you should get a receipt. The IRS only requires this for donations worth more than $250 but to be on the safe side, get a receipt for all of your donations. You may be surprised how the value adds up over the year.
7. The closets in your home will become less cluttered. In the United States, people buy about 20 billion different pieces of clothing every year. That translates to 68 pieces of clothing and seven pairs of shoes for every person in the country. When you donate clothing to charity, you get more space in your closets. If you have kids whose clothes they have grown out of and you have no one to pass them down to, donating those items to charity can make a big difference for other people and will get you a less cluttered home.

There are a lot of good reasons to donate to charity. Making Red Cross clothes donations can help a lot of people but also it can help you. Scientists have found that people who donate their time or items to charity are happier and healthier than people who do not donate.