According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, there has been a dramatic increase in homelessness in the United States over the past two decades. Up to two million men, women and children are without a home during the year. One way to help the homeless is to donate used or new clothing to a shelter.
Instructions
1. Look through your closet for clothing in good condition that you haven't worn in a while. Admit it, you don't need those items - give them away.
2. Include any clothing that no longer fits instead of saving it in the hope that someday you will wear it. There is a perfect size four who needs those wool pants.
3. Go door to door in your neighborhood and collect socks and gloves without a mate that you can give to a shelter to put into unmatched pairs for residents to wear.
4. Donate any extra coats you have, since these are in especially great demand at shelters.
5. Wash items before you give them away, and check to be sure they are not stained or torn.
6. Include personal items such as sample-size shampoos, soaps and deodorant - stuff 'em in a stocking and put it in the giveaway bag.
7. Contact the shelter you want to help directly to find out if there are specific hours during which it accepts donations.
8. Check with a local religious organization, club or civic group to find out if it collects clothing for shelters. If so, you can leave the items there and have the organization deliver them for you.
9. Look for clothing collection boxes in stores, health clubs and other local businesses.
10. Consider the option of leaving clothes in a drop-off box, such as the ones run by the Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Groups such as these sell the clothes they collect in their own stores to raise money to donate for shelters and other good causes.
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