Have you ever wondered how to do your part in helping disabled veterans? Donate clothes to charity! That?s right, a simple bag of used clothing could go a long way to providing a family with the clothes they need for a season. Yes, we realize that it can be hard to understand how clothing donations can impact someone?s life, but once you take the time to sort through your closet and donate to local charity organizations, you?ll soon realize what a blessing clothing donations can be.
To get a better picture of what clothing donations are looking like nowadays, let?s take a look at some numbers. It was reported that clothes donations in America added up to about 4.7 billion pounds per year, while about 10.5 million tons of clothing are just sent to the dump. This means that the average American is only donating about 15% of the clothing that they don?t wear anymore, throwing away almost 70 pounds per year. Does this seem right? Should the number of clothes and fabrics being thrown out be higher than the ones being donated? We don?t think so.
Here are three ways you can make a difference in helping disabled veterans, families in need and other individuals:
- Be Proactive About Clothes Donations
With numerous clothing drop off locations all across the nation, it should be easy to find one near you. Start being proactive about making charity clothing donations and make a point to go through your closet each year. Encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. Offer to transport their charitable donations if they can?t find the time to get out themselves. - Get The Word Out On Social Media
Take advantage of the connections you have on social media and get the word out about making donations for veterans and families in need. It?s been estimated that about 70% of social media users will take action when one of their friends or acquaintances posts something about making a charitable donation, so you?re almost guaranteed to have a major effect just in this area alone. - Remind Friends and Family About Tax Write-Offs
One thing that many people forget about is the tax write-offs that go along with a good-sized charitable donation. If you?re working to collect donations for non-profit organizations, make sure to remind participants that a donation of $250 or more will need a receipt in order to comply with tax write-off requirements. Other charitable donations that fit under tax write-offs include men?s overcoats and suits, which equal to about $60, and coffee makers, which equal about $4 to $15.
Being proactive about gathering up used clothing donations is one of the best ways you can make a difference in helping disabled veterans, families and other individuals. Have any other ideas? Share them in the comments below!
