Donating Clothes This Holiday Season

Are you already starting to think about New Year’s Resolutions? If so, you are not alone. Thousands of people all across the world are considering what they can do to better their life next year. One idea is to donate more to charitable organizations. The good news about donating is that it does not have to cost you any money because you can give of your time or your used clothing or household items. Below are just a few of the reasons people choose to donate clothing each year:

1. Helping Those In Need – This is probably the best reason to donate your clothes and used household items next year. In every city in America there are families and children in need of clothing, food, and other items, and you could help make their life a little easier just by donating the things that you and your family no longer use. In 2011 alone it was estimated that 2 million tons of clothing were either recycled or donated to charity in the United States. That figure may seem astounding, but we can do so much more.

2. Reducing Waste – Another incredibly important reason to donate clothes is to reduce the amount of waste that our country generates. Research shows that right now, Americans throw out over 12 million tons of clothing and textile waste every single year. The saddest part about that research is thinking about how much of that clothing could have been given to someone who needed it.

3. Taking Advantage of Tax Breaks – Donations for non profit organizations can be written off as charitable donations on your taxes, which is just sort of an added bonus for the whole process. Not only are you helping the people in your community that are in need, but you might save a little money while you are at it.

There are dozens of reasons that over 95 percent of Americans participate in charitable giving each and every year, and the list above represents just three of those. The next time you find yourself cleaning out a closet or drawer in your house, think about starting a box for donations for non profit organizations. There are probably several organizations that accept clothing donations in or around your home, you just need to find out where they are.