Every year, 70% of the American population makes some type of charitable donation. It’s interesting to note that Americans also donate three percent of their income to charities every year. In turn, non-profit organizations such as the American Red Cross contribute the equivalent of $666.1 billion to the economy on an annual basis.
The American National Red Cross receives a significant amount of private donations. Given this, they have been ranked as the 13th largest charity in the United States. In 2014, for example, this organization received $687 million. These funds, as well as household textiles and clothes donations, enable the American Red Cross to provide assistance to families and communities. They operate 24 hours a day throughout the entire year, and provide food, shelter, blankets, and blood to disaster victims and others in need.
The Environmental Protection Agency reported that people in the United States throw away a large amount of clothing every year. Their figures indicate that this amounts to every person within this country throwing away an average of ten pounds of clothes. Given this, it’s not surprising to learn that Americans consume approximately 20 billion garments every year. When averaging this out, it means that people in this country purchase at least one garment or pair of shoes every week.
While many Americans make the decision to donate clothing, shoes, and household items, others literally throw these away. As a result, the country’s landfills are overflowing with items that could be used or worn again. In addition, clothing and household textiles can be shredded for furniture stuffing, home insulation, and industrial rags.
Whether you make charitable donations on a regular basis or are just realizing the importance of doing so, remember that your household and used clothing donations help the Red Cross assist disaster victims as well as make a positive impact on the environment. GreenDrop can conveniently provide you with a Red Cross clothing pick up at your home, office, church, or other organization. In addition to scheduling a Red Cross clothing pick up, clothing donation centers are located in a variety of urban and suburban areas.