To some, homelessness may seem like a tucked-away, non-urgent issue but the reality is this: millions of people suffer directly or indirectly from homelessness in the United States. A recent report by KERA News found that there are over 110,000 children in Texas — one state alone — that have no home to go to. Another report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that there are about 600,000 homeless people in the country on any given night. For these men, women, and children, charitable clothing donations are critical for their survival. Anyone who lives in a cold climate can tell you just how hard it is to brave a winter with adequate clothing, let alone without. For various reasons, the homeless are totally dependent on the kindness of strangers. Without clothing donations, many of these vulnerable souls would have no way to protect themselves against the elements.
Helping families in need is a priority with charitable clothing donations. There are a number of charitable organizations in the country that specialize in collecting and distributing lightly used clothing. Some organizations are so dedicated, in fact, that some will even come to your front door or curb to pick up donations! Charities that will pick up donations have made donating clothes simple and convenient.
There is another humanitarian benefit that comes with donating used clothing. By donating clothing, you can help mollify the extraordinary waste of recyclable fabrics that goes on in the U.S. Nearly 5% of the total waste found in garbage dumps — billions of pounds — are household textiles and fabrics such as cotton and wool. Of those, a good 90% is perfectly recyclable and could be used to make clothing. There are more than 1.5 million charitable organizations in the U.S. today, all of them wonderful in their own right. But with charitable clothing donations, helping families in need and saving the environment go hand in hand.