What is the current inventory of clothes in your closet?
Can you even count the number of shoes that you have?
If you are like many Americans who embrace the consumerism of today’s society, the number of shoes that you have likely overflows the rack or falls off the shelf.
An article in the June 2015 issue of Glamour magazine valued the average American woman’s closet at $2,000. And while that amount may seem insane, consider that the same article indicates that 9% of women say that the value of the contents in their closet, including accessories, reaches $10,000. That Glamour survey went on the list the number os the items that took up the most space in those 2015 closets:
- 37% of the women indicated that they owned between 25 and 49 blouses.
- 32% of the women indicated that they owned more than 25 pairs of shoes, including heels, flats, and boots.
- 60% of women indicate that they own fewer than 10 pairs of jeans.
Clothing Donation Centers Help Redistribute the Clothing That Crowds Some Closets in America
There is nothing wrong with having the things that you want and the things that you need. If, however, you have so much that you never even wear even half of the clothes that you have, it might be time to consider making some clothing donations. Through the help of organizations that accept clothing donations Americans can make sure that the things that they are no longer wearing can get to those people who need them the most. In fact, organizations that pick up donations make helping families in need very easy.
Some of the places that accept clothing donations include the following:
Disabled Veterans of America
Just one of several military organizations that accept clothing and household item donations, the DAV is known for its automated home phone calls that allow people to schedule convenient pick up services. The decision to clean out your closet and dressers can be even easier if you know that someone will come to your house to collect your items.
Local Churches
Another clearinghouse for donated clothing items is the local church. Whether they store and make donated clothing available to those in need, or whether they simply act as a collection center for other agencies, churches are important to the distribution of clothing to families in need. In addition to collecting clothes, churches also serve as a collection of the names of families who come looking for assistance.
Schools
Another location that is a clearinghouse for the clothing and other items that people need is the schools across America. As the locations that see the majority of the children in this country, schools are able to understand the needs of families within their enrollment population. Most specifically, using the confidential lists of free and reduced lunches recipients, this information may also be used to determine if there are other ways that these families can be helped. From entire closets of clothing of all sizes that can be offered to families that are in need, to referring these families to other agencies, schools can help distribute clothing items.
What Can You Do to Avoid the Waste of Valuable Resources Like Clothing?
An estimated 80% of donated clothing in the United States is used by charitable organizations for donation to the needy, as well as for funding. Clothing that is not distributed can also be sold or recycled. Although Americans are major consumers of all kinds of clothing, they, unfortunately, are not majorly successful in repurposing these clothing purchases. In fact, an estimated 12 million tons of clothing and textile waste is thrown out in America every year.
Perhaps the most unrealized benefit of donating clothing is that the organizations that collect these items will do a more thorough job of making sure that clothing that is no longer wearable will be at the very least recycled. As it stands now, nearly 90% of clothing and textiles thrown out in America during the year 2011 could have been recycled or reused, instead of being sent to the landfills.
Are you convinced yet? Have you decided that even if you are not yet willing to donate, it might at least be time to count the shoes in your closet.