Every year, 70% of the people living within the United States make some type of charitable donation. In many instances, this may consist of donating items for resale at charitable second-hand stores. Other individuals may donate their time and expertise to various organizations as well. Monetary donations are also made to a variety of charities, and “giving back to the community” has been a significant motivation for 63% of high net worth donors. It’s important to note that on an annual basis, non-profit organizations contribute $666.1 billion to the U.S. economy.
Learn More About the American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross operates throughout the year for 24 hours a day. They provide a variety of relief services to families and communities in need. In addition to life-saving blood, this includes blankets, food, and shelter.
Charities are ranked by the level of private donations they receive. In 2014, for example, the American National Red Cross was ranked as the 13th largest U.S. charity. This is due to their receiving $687 million in private donations.
The Benefits of Donating Old Clothing
Every year, Americans purchase almost 20 billion items of clothing. On a weekly basis, this amounts to every person purchasing a new item. Another way to measure this is as 68 garments and seven pairs of shoes per person every year. While some people may wear these items for a long length of time, others may throw them away and purchase new ones. It’s not unusual for a large percentage of new clothing items to not be worn at all.
Since much of the clothing people throw away can be worn again, donating it to charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross is beneficial. Furthermore, this also makes a positive environmental impact as these items don’t end up in the country’s already over-burdened landfills. Since clothing and household textiles can be recycled to use as insulation and furniture stuffing, this also makes a positive impact.
How to Make an American Red Cross Clothing Donation
Since you’re interested in making a contribution to your community and the country’s overall environment, you can donate old clothing. There are different ways to donate old clothing to the American Red Cross. Once you have gathered your items together, you can call for a convenient Red Cross clothing pickup. If there is a Red Cross donation center in your area, you can also take your items there.
Remember to save your receipts when you donate old clothing. At tax time, you will be able to deduct the value of your charitable clothing donations.
