Now, more than ever, has there never been a better time to consider donating. The value of charitable donations extends past the benefits of a tax deductible and rather, rests inside the hearts and minds of people wishing to do good. And it shows. Americans alone donate an estimated 4.7 billion pounds of clothing every single year; that’s the equivalent of 783,333 average African forest elephants.
Donating to charity foundations and charity organizations is an important decision to consider. After all, the average American contributes 70 pounds of clothing, linens and various other textiles to landfills each year. If the clothing are still in good or even okay condition, why not donate it? Making donations of clothing tends to keep fabric out of landfills, as was the case in 2006 when 2.5 billion pounds of fabric were saved by used-clothing purchases. Even if you own a shirt that is falling apart, almost 100% of clothing and textiles can be recycled anyways, regardless of its ragged condition.
The giving does not stop there. In 2014 alone, $358.38 billion was donated to charitable organizations, altogether.
Even in the realm of social media, 70% of users have taken action in response to a friend reaching out to consider donating. In other words, this shows that seven out of 10 people will come together to answer the call for help. Social media, when wielded with good intentions, can result in some very touching outcomes.
However, you do not need social media to champion a good deed. If you’re looking for a military organization to donate to, perhaps you’ll be satisfied with MOPH. The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH or Purple Heart) was founded in 1932 and it currently has a membership as large as 45,300 veterans. It is a war veteran organization that is congressionally chartered by the United States of America, and waves the motto “Some Gave All, All Gave Some.” Within MOPH, GreenDrop markets campaigns for MOPH. They gather the various accepted donations to Purple Heart, like clothing and household items, and funnel them into a fund for MOPH. The ability to convert donations into cash, by GreenDrop, allows MOPH to offer health, education and family support programs for all veterans.
Whether it’s donations to Purple Heart or a charity organization in your backyard, consider giving a helping hand rather than tossing that old shirt away.