As the weather starts to get cold, many families make a trip to the local department store for new coats and sweatshirts. Depending on where in the country you live, you might add in some gloves, scarfs, and winter hats. The weather will soon get cold and you will begin layering on the clothes to keep warm. What if you did not have enough money to purchase a coat to keep warm? What if you could not provide your children with cold weather accessories? That is why it is so important to donate clothing you are no longer using.
Approximately 70% of people in the U.S. give to charity each year. However, a large percentage of these donations occur around the holidays. Families may donate unused clothing items or money, to provide a good holiday for children in need. Some may engage in coat or winter accessory drives through work to provide for children. Yet, many of these winter clothing items are needed way before the holiday season.
The perfect time to donate your unused clothing items, especially winter items, is in the fall. It allows the charities to sort out the clothing and transport it to those in need. It prepares young children for the cold weather, before it gets here. It means that a child does not have to spend one cold day in the fall or winter, without a winter coat to keep them warm.
When you donate clothes to Red Cross, you are also providing much more than warm clothing and coats for those in need. The Red Cross donation pickup center also helps out those in need from natural disasters. For 24 hours per day, 365 days a year, the American Red Cross provides relief for families and communities in the form of blankets, food, blood, and shelter. The money that is raised from the Red Cross donations allows them to provide these additional services.
The Red Cross clothing pickup center also sells its items to the public for a very discounted price. The discounted price helps those in need purchase the items they need for little to nothing. The income that comes from the purchase provides the American Red Cross with the finances they need for the blood drives and charity services. It also provides them with finances to assist with other necessities, such as shelter, food, and educational expenses.
Some charities are backed by the government and do not rely as much on private donations. The Red Cross clothing pickup, however runs on donations from private individuals. The American National Red Cross is the 13th largest U.S. charity as ranked by private donations. It received $687 million in 2014 in private donations. These private donations are crucial to the success of the Red Cross clothing pickup center.
The American Red Cross is also government approved. When a charity can prove that they are helping others and that a large percentage of the donations they receive are actually going to those in need, they can receive a 501C3. This informs those who want to donate to the Red Cross pickup that that are, indeed, a reputable charity. The 501C3 status also allows those who donate to the Red Cross clothing pickup center the ability to claim the donations on their taxes. This can decrease tax payments and liabilities.
When you are going through last year?s fall and winter clothing, consider donating your unused items to those in need. Although many people donate, they tend to do so only during the holidays. Donations are actually needed all year long, especially as the weather begins to get cold. The American Red Cross is a government approved charity, meaning that a good portion of the donations that they receive goes to those in need, not to overhead costs.