Poverty is a problem that America has always struggled with. In Philadelphia alone, which has the worst poverty rate of the 10 largest cities in the US, there are 440,000 people who fall under the federal line of poverty. Of that incredible number, 39% are children! So what’s the average citizen to do? Read on for some easy ways you can help.
- Do your research. Poverty is linked to many other issues such as education, reproductive rights, and the criminal justice system. Reading about these issues will help you educate others as well as determine where your efforts are best focused.
- Don’t think that just because you’re not exceedingly wealthy, it means you can’t help. There are dozens of ways to give back that don’t cost a dime.
- Do look through your old items and determine what you can donate. Donating clothing to charity (as well as other items, but clothing is the most popular) is a great for helping families in need and also for helping the environment. Every year, one American family throws out almost 70 pounds of clothing. This amounts to 12 million tons of fabric and textile waste in landfills every year, 90% of which is recyclable.
- Do edit your inventory. When donating clothing to charity, go through the clothing you have collected. Remove anything that is ripped, stained, or too worn for charitable donation.
- Don’t just drop your clothing donations in any old donation box. Many of those boxes do not go to donations for non profit organizations.
- Do call your chosen organization ahead to make sure they accept all of the household items you might want to donate.
- Don’t forget to actually donate! Your items will do no good to anyone sitting in a bag in your garage. Some organizations will even arrange to pick up local donations so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home.
Do you like to give back? Tell us some of your favorite ways to do so in the comments!
