There are a large variety of charities available that are ready and willing to take donations for their cause. It is known that a great number of U.S. veterans are in need of clothing, food, and even places to live. Donations for veterans can be made at different locations throughout the country, and there are some organizations that will even arrange to pick up the donations. Unfortunately, most Americans only donate about 15% of clothing to charities while 10.5 million tons of used clothing ends up in landfills.
Donating used clothing and household items can literally be a double blessing for people who give. Many charitable donations can be written off on the giver’s taxes. A man’s coat or suit is estimated as being a tax write off of $60, and a coffee maker or similar small kitchen appliance can be worth between $4 and $15 as a tax write off. With these facts in mind, those who give to charity are giving to someone in need as well as being rewarded for their act.
It is difficult to say which are the best charities to donate to because all charity is designed to help those in need. However, it is not hard to decide what clothing to donate when an individual begins to take stock of all that they have. A good rule of thumb is that when there is an item of clothing that hasn’t been used in at lease six months, it is a good candidate for a clothing donation. When keeping in mind that a person now literally buys twice as much clothing as they would have 20 years ago, donating clothes that haven’t been worn in six months is a smart and charitable thing to do. Most donations of household items and clothing can be recycled and reused. According to a study done in 2006, used clothing purchases were responsible for keeping 2.5 billion pounds of fabric from ending up in landfills. That constitutes a good deal of giving!
Many people will give donations for veterans because of what servicemen and women have contributed to America. People are especially willing to give to wounded veterans charities, and feel that giving donations to purple heart organizations are a good way of giving back a little bit. Donations for veterans are a wonderful way to help care for the men and women who have selflessly served in the United States.
There are an unlimited number of charity organizations that are tax exempt and are committed to helping military families as well as children in need of clothing. It is easy to find the names and the information for these charities. The hard part is really the decision about which one to choose to give to. Every cause is worth it! What better way to help others than to give to them clothing that is outgrown, or just not worn anymore, and providing for them the opportunity to own something useful that they may not be able to afford on their own?
