Where Do Your Donated Clothes Go?

In our hectic, crazy world, there are many things that demand attention from activists and good Samaritans. From the degradation of the environment, to poverty, to a lack of access to education and health care. Indeed, the problems are endless, and it can seem like there is no way to reach out and help, to make any sort of real difference.

But the truth is that you can! Simply by living more mindfully, and making deliberate choices about your consumption, you can improve the world around you for yourself and others.

One way to do this is to donate your clothes. Americans send 10.5 million tons of clothes to landfills every year. When you consider that most of them are still wearable or at least could be repurposed, it is clear that it is a huge waste, twice over.

Consider the different types of people you could help by making the decision to make donations of clothing, instead of helping fill the dumps faster.

Veterans
Clothing donations help out many different types of people in need, and often can reach veterans. Many veterans, especially if they suffered mental or physical injuries while fighting, are unable to work enough to support themselves upon returning home. Donations to veterans go a long way in helping them get back on their feet.

Families
Having a family is hard, and raising children on a tight budget is even harder. Often, parents struggle to feed their children, let alone clothe them. Kids, and adults, need presentable clothing to go to school and work.

Refugees
When refugees leave their home country, they often leave everything they owned behind, even clothing. By donating clothes to refugee centers or homeless centers, you can even make the difference between life and death — so newly arrived refugees may not be used to the harsh climate of their new country.

The value of charitable donations is huge when you consider who will be benefiting. Everybody has the right to clothing on their backs. With Americans only donating or recycling 15% of their clothes, its no wonder there is a shortage of appropriate attire for those in need. Really assess your closet — if you live in a two season climate and you haven’t worn an item in 6 months — let it go.

Help break the cyle with donations to veterans, families and refugees.