Each year, my family and I sift through our drawers looking for clothes that don’t fit or haven’t been worn in months or even years. Sometimes we would donate three to five bags at a time. But are our clothes really helping those who are less fortunate?
1. Planet Aid
If you have ever seen a Planet Aid yellow bin located in places like New England, New Jersey/New York, Virginia, Maryland or North Carolina, your clothes are definitely not helping the children in Africa or the homeless. Recently, an investigation has been created which shows millions of Americans that the money made off their clothes ($42 million annually) has been used to fund a Danish cult called the "Teachers Group".
Yep, that’s right. Your clothes have been helping Danish cult members live a lavish lifestyle while little or even no money goes towards the Planet Aid mission of helping the environment or feeding and clothing African communities. The Danish cult called the "Teachers Group" was created by Mogens Amdi Petersen in 1970. He's on the run from Interpol and being charged with charities fraud and tax evasion by the Danish government.
Planet Aid has denied these allegations and relations to Petersen, but many employees of Planet Aid have come forward about their suspicions with the company.
2. Goodwill
Goodwill, on the other hand, is a group that does help the greater good. The profits made from the stores go towards helping intellectually-disabled students at a charter school in Lee County, FL, and help build apartments for senior citizens or people with disabilities.
According to Goodwill.org, “Goodwill Industries International earns $5 billion revenue per year, and we spend about 83 cents of every dollar on programs and services for people in need.”
3. Salvation Army
The Salvation Army store in Canada owns and operates all Salvation Army chains for more than 100 years. 86 percent of Salvation Army’s money goes directly towards charitable work, while the rest is used for fundraising and administration.
You know those Santa bell ringers that come out during Christmas time? I would watch out for some of them because some work for the Salvation Army, while others are just collecting your loose change.
4. LUPUS
My family and I usually donate our clothes to LUPUS, which is an organization that is currently available in DC, Maryland, Virginia, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York. House-hold items as well as clothes can be donated for for-profit wholesale buyers where the proceeds then support vital programs and individuals who are affected by lupus. Currently, LUPUS is only limited to a few areas, but is growing very rapidly. LUPUS also has door to door pick up where donations can be left on the front step for drivers to pick up at a selected time.
Now that you know about these charities, I hope that the next time you decide to donate your clothes, you do a bit of your own research first. Picking the right organization is essential in making sure that you are actually helping others in need.
