The truth about where donated clothes go..

[undergroundpanther]

ACCRA, GHANA, Dec. 21, 2006— Christmas is one of those times of the year when many Americans clean out our closets and donate some of our used clothing to a charity. Perhaps we hope that Santa Clause will replace them with shiny new shirts, jeans, blouses and shoes. Or maybe we just want to do some good.




http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2743456&page=1

[Erika]

1. I no longer give to the big charities

We keep it local, where a pair of jeans stays in the community.

[opiate69]

2. I worked at Goodwill for about 7 years..

the last 3 of which I was the warehouse coordinator.. we had about a million square feet of warehouse (5 separate huge warehouses), full to the rafters with about 75% textiles.. there was simply no way we could possibly sell even a tiny fraction of what was donated in our thrift stores. Apparently, there were also some sort of tax rules against us just giving away any of the goods to local homeless shelters or some such, so we sold container load after container load to a textile recycling plant in the Phillipines.. made quite a bit of cash from it as well, which in turn helped pay for the programs we offered.

[knitter4democracy]

14. That's why I go to Goodwill with ours.

They are the most helpful, many in our town shop there, and they provide good jobs here, too.

If I can get the stuff the kids have outgrown to the women's and children's shelter, I do that, too. As long as it doesn't end up in a landfill, it's all good to me.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. 15 years ago... when I worked at Salvation Army...

I knew one guy who had over 100 pairs of Levi 501 blue jeans at home, (in his size) that he had pilfered from from the donations. The best stuff goes to the workers.

I tried to be pissed about this, but frankly... it was a perk of the min. wage they were being paid. The attic space was stuffed to the rafters with clothing we had baled to send overseas because it wouldn't sell in the store. I guess this stuff gets recycled now.
That's better than the dumpsters of un-sell-able stuff that used to end up in the landfill.

[Maraya1969]

4. I take them to women's shelters. The women especially need nice clothes

to go out to interviews on and of course there are plenty to kids. These woman leave everything behind from an abusive situation.

I have been involved in a group that took clothes directly to homeless people when I was in NJ. I would love to do that here in FL.

[SoCalDem]

6. I do that too. there's a very nice one near me

It operates as a "store" that actually does sell stuff, but the women "clients" have a card that identifies them, and they get stuff they want/need for free.
They dry clean everything, and mend stuff if it;s missing a button.

[tenshi816]

22. I do that too.

There's a women's shelter about 20 miles from me and I donate directly to them. What they don't use for the women and children who are staying in the shelter gets sold directly from their own charity shop and the proceeds get funneled back into the shelter to keep it going.

I donate my children's clothing once they've outgrown it (provided it's still in good condition) and also gave their bunk beds once they outgrew them, because the shelter needs things like that.

We even give them things like toothbrushes (new, of course) and toiletries because so often when a woman takes her children and leaves an abusive partner, they walk out the door with only the clothes on their backs, literally.

I like being involved with something directly like this.

edit: typo

[Kindigger]

5. What PO's me

I used to find a real treasure once in awhile doing one of my "Good Will Store tours". Now they take anything that's worth anything to put on Ebay.

[grasswire]

7. yep

I don't even bother to go to thrift shops for clothing finds anymore. The incentive is gone when they started skimming.

[Nicole]

23. Not just Ebay, Goodwill has their own online auction site

shopgoodwill.com is the first Internet auction site operated by a nonprofit organization. It was created and is operated by Goodwill of Orange County (Santa Ana, CA). Participating Goodwill's from across the country offer for auction on the site a wide array of art, antiques and collectibles as well as new and nearly new items pulled from their vast inventories of donated goods. From unique one-of-a-kind items to estate pieces, the depth of resources is enormous. Revenues from these auction sales fund Goodwill's education, training and job placement programs for people with disabilities and other barriers.



http://www.shopgoodwill.com/help/about_shopgoodwill.asp

[renate]

8. I shop at Goodwill and have got to say...

... that what is being sent overseas must not be all that hot.

So if people's donations do some good in any way--if they don't end up in a landfill but produce revenue for Goodwill and the African companies that resell them--then that's a good thing, right?

However, I personally am not interested in re-gifting things back to Goodwill so that someone like me, who shops there for fun rather than from necessity, can buy a cashmere sweater for $7. So I take all our clothes to a wonderful organization that gives clothes, school supplies, etc for free to people in need. It's a religious organization, but I have absolutely no problem with religious people who don't just talk the talk but walk the walk.

http://www.northwestchildrensoutreach.org/mission.htm

Anybody in the Portland, Oregon, area--I strongly recommend that you consider dropping your stuff off with these folks. People don't have to be of any particular religious affiliation to receive donations, either. I'm Christian myself, but the nondenominational aspect is make-or-break important to me.

Before I found out about this group, I took the kids' baby stuff to a woman's shelter, and we donated our car to a woman's shelter too. The recipient wrote us a lovely letter telling us how having a car made it possible for her and her kids to have an independent life. It was our Best. Decision. Ever.

Also, my mom volunteers for Victim Services and says that St. Vincent de Paul is absolutely wonderful for helping women start a new life.

[ClintonTyree]

9. Speaking of Goodwill.....

we have a new Goodwill store being built in our Village, a brand new, from the ground up, new store. There are countless abandoned businesses in and outside of the Village yet Goodwill finds it necessary to build a brand new store? That seems a bit wasteful for an organization that's supposed to be about recycling and helping individuals who are down on their luck. :shrug: I just thought it was counter-productive. Perhaps they're trying to polish their image?

[Midlodemocrat]

20. I've *heard* that sometimes it is more cost effective to construct

a new building than renovate an old one. Maybe that is the case where you are? :shrug:

[izzie]

10. Shall I say this? Oh well here goes. I wear my stuff out.

I guess it is just a thing with me and when the cuffs look like lace I get rid of it usually in a waste basket. It was even a thing in my marriage as my husband said we really could buy new things and I just would not do it. My mother used to take my shoes and I would be stuck and have to buy new ones.I have spent hours looking for my shoes, thinking I was crazy to have lost them and then finding out my mother took them. I do know a lot of people who go to the used shop. Often finding good stuff specially with children things. I knew Churches make money on it and my church used to give the money away but I never knew it was really a money making thing. I frankly just hate to shop unless it is for a book.

[Nabia2004]

21. Same here, the wool sweater I have on is over 20 years old

I wear it every winter.

[izzie]

24. Well every one knows sweaters are always in style.

I would keep it.

[pecwae]

11. I give to an animal shelter

who has a Bare Bones Boutique and sells all sorts of donations.

[BlackVelvet04]

12. I don't have a problem with the clothes

being sent to a recycler. Much of what is given to these charities is stuff that should have gone in the trash but people realize they can get a tax break so they give it to charity instead.

My rule is if an item is too worn looking, torn, stained or damaged in any way it goes in the trash. If it isn't good enough for me to wear it's not good enough to give away.

[michreject]

13. I donate used clothes to the Salvation Army

I take the tax deductions. I list and put a value on each item I donate. What they do with it after I donate it is of no concern to me. It's better for someone, somewhere to use it instead of throwing it away.

[rucky]

15. "Santa Clause"?!

ABC needs an editor for Christmas.

[Horse with no Name]

16. First of all, I try to donate to someone we know personally

If not, we take them to a local clothing closet who attempts to sell them--ie...I bought some really nice jeans for my granddaughter for $1 a pair.
If there is someone needy, they can bring their family to the clothes closet who will give them what they need for no cost.
What they don't sell, is donated to an organization called Christians in Action--who go through the stuff and give the best to the women's shelters, and then the rest goes to making rags.
The money they make goes into their overhead costs and shelters they provide.
I have no problem with it.

[gollygee]

17. If someone I know doesn't want them

I give old clothes away on Freecycle. Usually just kids' clothes because ours are usually too warn for that and end up becoming rags.

[notadmblnd]

19. That's how it works among my family and friends.

My mom still brings bags of clothes to us girls that her friends have given her with the message, take what you want and pass the rest on to someone else. Us girls are all in our 40's now but we still love getting the clothes and passing them on.

[aikoaiko]

18. either way, it still helps to give away clothes to charity.

[sendero]

25. So what..

.... not only that, lots of these clothes wind up as rags.

They still benefit the organizations they are donated to, and other people. Donating your old clothes is still good.

[msongs]

26. US castoffs are destroying local clothing makers in Africa. PBS recently showed this in

an hour program on the subject (frontline?)

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm