Donating clothes to charity is part of a larger campaign against homelessness and poverty in the United States. According to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2013 report, there are over 600,000 homeless men, women, and children on any given night in the country. Of them, nearly a quarter are below 18 years-old. For the wealthiest country in the world, the United States has a gloomy and severe homelessness problem.
Clothing donations help the cause by providing the homeless with adequate clothing for when they are facing life on the streets. Especially in the winter where temperatures can become fatal, proper clothing such as jackets, gloves, and hats are an absolute must. Charitable clothing donations provide much needed warmth and some kind of security for those who, for various reasons, cannot provide for themselves.
Unfortunately, the campaign against homelessness is hampered in part by massive waste and carelessness. Far too much clothing and textiles are needlessly thrown away. These materials could easily be recycled and turned back to clothing. It is estimated that nearly 5% of all garbage in U.S. landfills is composed of clothing and textiles. Worst yet, Americans discard on average 68 pounds worth of clothing a year while only buying 10 pounds worth of recycled clothing. The amount of waste this amounts to is heartbreaking to say the very least.
Fortunately, however, there are more than 1.5 million non-profit organizations across the country, many of which accept lightly used clothing. There are even charities that will pick up donations from your curb or doorstep! So, please, if you have any articles of clothes lying around that haven’t been worn in a while — socks, pants, jackets, shirts, hats, undergarments, etc. — consider donating clothes to charity. You may not be able to tackle homelessness and poverty by yourself but together, clothing donations can truly help those 600,000 men, women, and children who desperately need clothing.
