Clean Out Your Closets to Help Hurricane Sandy Victims

There are survivors of Hurricane Sandy who can use clothing donations right now and, given my line of work, I know that just about every one of you have clothing tucked away in your closet that you don’t need.

Here’s an idea.  Why not donate it to the victims.

But, let’s be thoughtful about what we donate.  Here are some tips to keep in mind during your purge.

#1- Donate useful items.  This is not an opportunity to rid yourself of buyer’s remorse

Sure, you may have a cocktail dress that still has the tags attached or a pair of platforms that you wore once and nearly broke your ankle and then got relegated to the back of the closet.  These items are of no use to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Donate useful things like coats, sweaters, gloves, pants and hats.  Also, if your children has grown out of last year’s coats, pants or sweaters, consider donating them.  Shoes and boots would also be great donations, as long as they’e in decent condition.

#2- Clean the clothes before you donate

Hurricane Sandy survivors in need of clothing donation may be desperate, but that doesn’t mean that your stinky, stained clothing should be sent without a thorough cleaning first.

#3- If you are near an affected area and can’t donate, consider offering to wash the clothes of the victims

If you have nothing to donate but want to help, offer to wash the clothing items that the victims were able to salvage.  Having chatted with Tide Loads of Hope, I’ve learned that when people lose everything but a few clothing items, many are attached to those things.  Just imagine a child who only has their favorite blanket or stuffed animal left after losing everything else.  How comforted would they feel if they had it to hold on to washed and clean?  This is a great idea for those who live in the tri-state area who were spared any major devastation and want to lend a hand to those in the area who were.

If you don’t have a washer, consider rounding up clothing items from victims in your nearby area and offering to bring their clothing to a local laundromat and returning them.  If it is a small way you can help while lifting a small burden from those who have a lot of other things to worry about.

If your look for places to donate clothing and other items, click here for resources.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there.  To make sure you are donating smartly, here are some tips and additional resources.