Of the several domestic problems facing the United States, few are quite as distressing or as tragic as homelessness. Homelessness is a serious problem in the country. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that there are a little less than 600,000 homeless people in the country. A quarter of them happen to be children. These men, women, and children are among the most vulnerable members of society. Without the help or generosity of total strangers, these people simply could not survive.
Fortunately, there are many kind souls that donate toys, lightly used clothing, and other household items to charity. Charitable clothing donations go a long way in helping the nation’s homeless and poor. The impact is so pervasive, in fact, that for-profit companies are starting to pitch in. Uber, for example, lent their cars and services to Goodwill last month as part of an international effort to raise clothing for the homeless. Teaming up with Goodwill, Uber users had the option of sending their used clothing to charity by calling for an Uber driver. The campaign was conducted in cities across the U.S. and around the world (such as Amsterdam and St. Petersburg).
Outside of providing warmth and comfort to the poor, charitable donations of clothing also achieve another objective: protecting the environment. Sadly, billions of pounds of cotton, polyester, nylon, rayon, and other common household textiles are needlessly thrown away and dumped in landfills across the country. Five percent of the total waste found in landfills consist of such fabrics, even though that up to 90% of such material is recyclable. Things have become so bad that in 2006, 2.5 billion pounds of fabric were kept away from landfills by used-clothing companies and charitable organizations. Though the material was salvaged, the fact that so much fabric was thrown away (and continues to be thrown away) gives one pause about the state of our fabrics.
For more information on how to donate toys, clothing, and other items, feel free to leave a comment or question at the bottom.
