Unfortunately, there are more homeless individuals than you may think. Additionally, some families are having trouble making ends meet.
Shocking Statistics
In Philadelphia alone, around 440,000 residents are currently living under the federal poverty line. This same state has the worst poverty rate out of the top 10 largest cities within the United States. Some of the time families are having financial difficulties aren’t always because they aren’t trying; fraud can be a factor. CNN states that identity fraud happens every 42 seconds. Just in 2013, more than 13 million Americans had their identities stolen. Thankfully, some organizations help families in need, and the whole community comes together to help as well.
Clothing Donations
One of the ways organizations can help families and allow the community to become a large part of that donating process is by providing clothing donations. According to research, the average American will purchase around 10 pounds of clothing that were previously used in the United States. In 2007, around $5.8 billion worth of clothing were sent to charities in the United States. A whopping 2 million tons of clothing was donated or recycled and sent to charities. With the option of having charities that will pick up donations, you don’t even have to leave your home. Some people may genuinely want to help out families in need, but they just don’t have the time to bring the clothing donations to the organization. Thankfully, when the organization is willing to pick up clothing donations, more clothes are sent to those in need such as military families or even those with children, rather than just being thrown away.
Recycling
Research indicates that 12 million tons of clothes and textiles are being thrown out each year in the United States. In fact, the average person will generate about 4.5 pounds of trash each day. That’s a lot of clothing that could go to people in need. More people could benefit from these pieces of clothing that are just being tossed. By having an organization that is willing to pick up clothing donations, more people in need may benefit whether it’s to recycle at the time or send to a family.
