Finance

It is true that clothing donations can be a godsend to those in need. Because clothing items are so easy to come by, stuff into bags, and cart down to the local church or simply leave on your driveway for pickup, apparel items tend to be among the most popular forms of donations. The idea, after all, of someone not even able to afford such basic protection from the elements seems like nothing short of a moral outrage.

Still, some charities find that, especially in the wake of a disaster, this can often become a problem in itself. In the wake of a tornado, a hurricane, or a flood, well-intentioned people from all over the country frequently make used clothing donations by the truckload. Ironically, this is what some government officials think of as the second disaster.

The Problem With Clothing Donations
The trouble starts once the clothing donations actually reach the charity site. There they have to be stored somewhere, frequently a basement that cant always accommodate such a tremendous influx. Then volunteers have to come in and assist in the sorting and sizing of the clothing, which can prove a daunting task when there are so many different kinds and qualities of clothing to organize.

Some charity organizations complain that as much as a third of the clothing they receive is unusable due to holes, stains, or missing sleeves; volunteers are routinely told to dispose of clothing they themselves would be ashamed to wear. The bulk amounts of clothing donations that swamp workers in the wake of a natural disaster or a fund-raising drive also suck up valuable storage space that is needed for more essential items like food, water, and medicine. Some volunteers claim that clothing donations are like feeding the homeless on Thanksgiving: organizations get uncontrollably swarmed one day, and for the rest of the year need to scramble using the woefully limited resources at their disposal.