where can i donate my clothes

Where is the most helpful place to donate clothes?

GoodwillFor Americans, Goodwill is the go-to place to donate clothing. Goodwill is a non-profit that provides job training and generally affordable clothing....Other Places to Donate ClothesSchools. ... Soles4Souls. ... Foster care programs. ... LGBTQ+ centers. ... Refugee organizations. ... Prisons. ... Churches. ... Free clothes banks.More items...•May 23, 2021

What clothes should not be donated?

Related Items2 Worn Socks or Undergarments. Not a big surprise, but even if they're still in good condition, most donation sites cannot accept socks or undergarments that have been worn due to sanitary concerns. ... 3 Expired or Recalled Items. ... 4 Old Electronics.Jan 4, 2018

Should you wash clothes before giving to charity?

No fabric items like bedding, towels, or clothes should be donated unless they have been cleaned. Dry clean or wash everything and treat any stains before donating.Jun 28, 2021

What do charity shops do with clothes they can't sell?

Clothes which can't be sold in the shop will be sold to textile recycling companies, so they still make money for the charity. The Charity Retail Association has advice on donating unusual items.

Where can I donate clothes?

Donate Your Clothes to a Local Charity Organization. Sometimes you want to give back directly to your community and drop your items off in your local town or city. Here are five of the top places that usually accept clothing donations: 1. Local Places of Worship.

What is thredup thrift store?

ThredUP is an online thrift store where you can buy and sell secondhand clothes. About 78 million items have been upcycled on thredUP since 2012. While you can sell clothes online for cash, they also provide a donation kit where instead of giving you money, they will donate $5 to a charity of your choice.

What do schools do during the holiday season?

Most schools hold food and clothing drives, especially during the holiday season. Usually the schools will then donate the items to local charities and shelters. Donating to a school means you are helping to teach school children — many of whom are involved in organizing the clothing drives — about the importance of giving and charity. You can contact your local school district for donation dates, needs and instructions on how to participate.

What is room to grow?

Room to Grow, a charity offering clothing, coaching and community building to low-income families, is a wonderful place to donate gently-used baby clothes and gear.

What is Dress for Success?

Founded in 1997, Dress for Success is an international nonprofit that empowers low-income women by providing them with professional clothing as they seek and maintain employment. So far their team has donated clothes and accessories to over one million women — and counting.

What is Project G.L.A.M?

Project G.L.A.M. is a New York City-based charity that provides underprivileged girls with everything they need for their proms, including clothing and accessories. Founded in 2007, Project G.L.A.M. has donated to over 7,000 young women across New York City.

What are community outreach centers?

Community outreach centers include places like Planned Parenthood, the YMCA, nursing homes, volunteer fire departments and domestic violence abuse shelters. The nice thing about donating to one of these places is that you know your donation will directly impact someone in your local community.

What does the organization give to women who have escaped human trafficking?

The organization gives all donated bras to women who have escaped human trafficking; the women then have the opportunity to sell the bras in second-hand markets in their communities and earn an income that can support themselves and their families.

What is the Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is an international charity organization that provides assistance to nearly 23 million Americans each year, with services that include everything from operating homeless shelters and conducting disaster relief to providing support for veterans, the elderly and the LGBTQ+ community. Clothing donations go toward stocking the charity's network of thrift stores, with all proceeds helping fund The Salvation Army's adult rehabilitation centers.

What is Planet Aid?

Planet Aid. Many charities only accept clothing that's in good and wearable condition — but Planet Aid is different. The organization makes it easy to donate and recycle all of your unwanted clothes, with the mission of saving all textiles from the landfill to help protect the environment.

What is the Red Cross?

One of the oldest and most well-respected humanitarian organizations in the country , the American Red Cross provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and disaster preparedness education for millions of people around the world. The non-profit currently has a partnership with GreenDrop, an organization that will take donated clothes and re-sell them to thrift stores to benefit the American Red Cross.

What is one warm coat?

Donate your spare jackets to One Warm Coat, a non-profit that provides free coats to people in need. Working towards its mission of raising awareness of the vital need for warm coats across the country, the organization has hosted more than 38,000 coat drives and has provided 6.6 million free coats since 1992.

What is the VVA?

The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is an organization dedicated to promoting and serving the needs of Vietnam War veterans through legislative initiatives, education and outreach programs. The non-profit collects donations of clothing and household items, which they either give directly to homeless and low-income veterans or re-sell in their resale stores to generate funds for their various programs and initiatives.

Can you donate clothes to save the planet?

Fortunately, there are simple ways you can donate your clothes to save the planet, and at the same time, help those in need. Ahead, we've compiled a list of places to donate clothes. While some of these organizations collect clothes to give directly to people in need, others give back in different ways, such as reselling ...

How much of clothes donated to thrift stores are resold?

Only 20% of clothes donated to thrift stores is actually resold. The rest is trashed or dumped in the Global South, where it pollutes their land and water, and disrupts their local textile economy. Ghana’s Kantamanto market is a prime example of this. Besides that, Goodwill can be exploitative.

Why do hospitals have closets?

Hospitals often have a free closet for patients who arrive with damaged clothing. In other situations, clothing may need to be cut off patients to assess injuries, or taken in as evidence for sexual assault cases.

What is Souls4Souls?

Souls4Souls takes gently-used shoes and trains people in poverty to run their own business reselling the shoes. The goal is empower them with the skills and resources to provide for themselves and increase their living standards.

What do domestic violence victims need to escape?

These centers usually accept clothing (often new only) and also need menstrual products, shampoo, deodorant, and other personal care items.

What do sober living houses need?

Many residents may not have a lot of belongings or resources, so clothing donations can make a big difference. Sober living houses also often need linens, food, and furniture.

What is Mutual Aid?

The Mutual Aid App allows you to search for nearby aid requests and respond to them right in the app. There are also Facebook groups that allow you to give and request aid.

What is the Buy Nothing Project?

The Buy Nothing Project has Facebook groups across the world. You join the group of your local area so you can give (and receive) right in your community. The group locations are super specific, and may cities are split up into multiple groups. You can only join the one where you live.

What happens to clothing after death?

After a death, especially when the person was single or widowed, there may be a house full of stuff that doesn’t have an obvious destination. Some of it will be saved and cherished by loved ones, especially family heirlooms and other items with special sentimental ...

What is professional clothing?

Professional clothing can be used by an organization that helps homeless and underprivileged people prepare for job interviews and gainful employment. Women’s professional clothing, including shoes and accessories, can be donated to Dress for Success, while men’s professional clothing, shoes, and accessories can be donated to Career Gear.

What is Hope Scarves?

Hope Scarves collects used scarves and passes them along to women in cancer treatment. One focus of the organization is sharing the stories of women who have undergone treatment, so this is an especially compelling donation if your loved one fought cancer, but scarves are accepted from anyone who wishes to donate.

What is Share Your Soles?

Share Your Soles accepts shoes of all kinds, to be passed along to people in need. Soles 4 Souls also distributes shoes to people in poverty, and if your donation is under a certain weight, you can get a free shipping label for sending them in. Athletic shoes that are too worn to donate can be recycled through Nike’s Reuse a Shoe program, ...

What is Cinderella Project?

The Cinderella Project is a network of local dress donation programs – search for their name plus your city or region to see if they operate near you. Bras are a clothing item we don’t always think to donate, but Free the Girls is one organization that can put them to good use.

Can I donate wedding dresses?

Wedding dresses can be a treasured, sentimental item, but sometimes there’s just not space or desire to keep them after a loved one’s death. You can donate a wedding dress to a beautiful cause, instead. Brides Across America accepts newer dresses as well as vintage ones, plus veils and accessories, to be donated to military ...

GATHER YOUR DONATIONS

Gather your unwanted clothes or household goods for a tax-deductible donation to the VVA.

PLACE OUTSIDE YOUR HOME FOR PICK-UP

Rain or shine, our truck will pick-up your donations and leave a tax deductible receipt.