Every year 70% of the U.S. population gives to charity. This giving can come in many forms, from clothing donations to monetary donations. One of the most popular ways that donations are made is through a Red Cross Pickup, in which people donate clothing to those in need at specific stations in the country.
There are many reasons why someone would donate to a red cross clothing pick up or chose to donate at all. Maybe their clothes don’t fit as well as they used to, maybe they just don’t like the outfit anymore, or similar. But there are other, more tangible, benefits as well:
Civic Engagement
One of the benefits that can occur from working with others in donating is that you can induce a sense of civic engagement. Finding a cause and working with them, like working at a red cross donation center, and donating or working there as a volunteer can help that cause succeed. It can make an impact on the lives of the people around you, and that the cause engages with locally, nationally, or globally.
Reward Center of The Brain
Giving to charitable organizations can create a response in the brain that creates a sense of feeling good and positivity. It’s a surge of dopamines and endorphins that are usually linked to the sensation of “rewarding.” That means that they feel pleasurable to you overall.
Lowering Your Tax Burden
The most famous and well known of the benefits of giving to a charity, charitable donations can reduce your tax burden at the end of the year. You can report the dollars that you give to charity, or at least the over all monetary value, as a deduction from your taxable income. Donate clothes to claim the value of these goods as a deduction, instead of money. This way you save cash and still help those in needs.
Donating to a red cross clothing pick up is a great way to get a good return on old investments. Not only do you open up the closet space for a little more items, you also get the sensation of doing a good thing, and a tax deduction at the end of the year. This makes them a great way to benefit yourself, and your community.
