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Speaking for the yo-yo dieters out there, I used to hold onto the under- and over-sized clothing for hope or fear they would soon fit again, if you catch my drift. My mom, sewing machine whiz that she is, had done various surgeries on the best pieces to make them fit my ever-changing frame, making it hard to identify what size the pieces really were by that point, so I could not donate them to a traditional place like Goodwill. When I finally decided to "declare victory" and ditch all those boxes of over-sized clothing, the only really useful thing I could come up with was my mom's sewing/quilting hobby. My taste for loud, Hawaiian shirts in the late 1990s has resulted in a most unique quilt in the guest bedroom, and my nieces have been showered in "Granny designer originals" of questionable taste. Luckily they're too young to care. But there are photos.....
As for the under-sized stuff...I hang it in the closet and continue to hope!
We donate clothing to our church. It's located in an area with a high homeless and poverty population, and we maintain an emergency food pantry and clothes closet for those in the neighborhood in need. They stop by frequently.
Don't go to the clothes bins ... go to an actual thrift store that you can verify is an actual non-profit organization. Get a receipt for your tax records.
+1
In addition to the reality that those collection bins are rarely run by charities, that the folks who own those collection bins frequently sell the donated clothing as rags, and that the OP can't get a tax write-off when placing clothing in collection bins, I just don't understand why people fail to donate clothing (and other household items) to legitimate charities that provide receipts for the donation.
A few times each year, I make a run to the closest Goodwill collection center, and I get a receipt for my donations. Last year, I was able to deduct ~$600 from my federal tax return for donated clothing and household items, and that was in addition to all of my cash donations.
People who place their old clothing in collection bins are...literally...leaving money on the table and are most likely not helping any needy people.
The OP stated that this clothing is "oversized"--and that is apparently by US standards.
Do you really think that the typical Nepalese person would be able to wear oversized clothing that would be...literally...like a tent on their emaciated body?
I have a lot of oversized clothes that I don't wear anymore. I'm thinking about just trashing them. I heard those clothes bins on the street are for-profit instead of non-profit.
At this point, they need actual tents. Better to give the Red Cross money to help Nepal's needs than to try sending "items", given how hard it is to get in and out of there with freight.
I donate clothes and other items to the Viet Nam Vets of America organization. I call and they tell me when a truck will be there to pick up the items. I put the donations on my porch with a tag stating for the Viet Nam Vets of America and between 7-8 a.m., they come by and leave a receipt.
I've given a LOT of clothing and other things away on freecycle and also donated to the Salvation Army store. If I have a large batch, they will pick it up.
I prefer to give to organizations that directly aid individuals in need,
Who do you suppose benefits directly from donations to shelters for homeless people and domestic violence victims? Do you think that people who are living in shelters aren't in need? Especially since they probably left their homes -- if they had them -- with just what they had on their backs?
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