Donating clothes

Holi Cow

I'm in Gurgaon and have some clothes I no longer want. Is there somewhere that takes clothes, then donates it to those in need? (maybe I'll start a Delhi Goodwill store, eh)

Vicki

I have been advised by friends at work, to give my maid first pickings if I want to get rid of anything, then the driver etc.

Nick-H

I'll never forget the look on Mrs N's face when she saw me about to throw the used cooking oil away.

Event that is handed down, let alone servicable, wearable clothes. Certainly, yes, distribute to staff first

__________________
.


IndiaMike Mod Team (The Grumpy One)

himmat01

I normally give used clothes to the household staff. I would advise you to do the same.

__________________
http://www.airliners-india.net/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/himmat/

dhans

If you stay in a hotel, there is a risk giving them to the staff. I once did this without being to clear about it, so I got them back neatly washed an pressed .

Hans

__________________

Tips for trips to India with (young) children: India with kids
Stories about our travels in India: Journal

Holi Cow

Thanks all. Now, can I borrow your household staff to give my clothes to, as the only staff I have is the broom handle I use to sweep my own floor. Maybe I'll go to Friday market and set up a booth.

Nick-H

Gosh! I'm sure someone can help you give it all away...

ananda2193

Reminds me of when I was in Bombay years ago when the monsoon started and I was in Leopolds eating. I was sitting alone facing the street and there was this old man on the street outside that kept watching me, waiting for me to leave. When I left he asked me for clothes or something for the rain. I went back to my place and gave him a t-shirt of Hawaii that my sister gave me that she got on her honeymoon there and I also gave him some big plastic garbage bags for the rain to keep him dry. Well the next night I was in Leopolds again eating and next to me were 2 Nigerians and one was wearing the Hawaii t-shirt I gave this man the day before. I was like, "Hey, where did you get that shirt, it's mine, I gave it to someone yesterday?", and he said he bought it from someone.

So the moral of the story is whoever you give your clothes to might just end up selling them anyways! So maybe it's better you sell them also. Or give to an organization that deals with the poor.

chagu

My family have been donating all our clothing and bed linen to Goonj. This is a charity ,initially set up in Delhi.

www.goonj.org

They now have a contact in Gurgaon as well.

dhans

They may need the money! Remember; if you've given it away it's no longer yours. And a quote from my father: "If it doesn't hurt you, you haven't given away anything."

Hans

the opoponax

Dhans said what I was going to say. Once you give something away, it's not yours anymore.

ananda2193

I found it actually quite amusing at the time.And I wasn't upset that he sold it really.It was only a t-shirt. And it was obvious that he needed money which I wouldn't have given him probably. Hell, half the population of India needs money! But I don't even think that he asked me for money. It was 20 years ago, but I'm sure he didn't. The point is he got it under false pretenses. Or it could be that he was wearing it and the Nigerian saw him wearing it and liked it because it was kind of a tropical shirt and offered him money for it. Who knows! It's just a funny story thats all. But if you give clothes to someone with the intention of it being for them and NOT selling it, don't count on it!
Better to give them to an orranization.

And what if I had brought 1000 t-shirts to India for the poor and gave to an organization and they sold them instead of giving them out, would you still say that once I give it's not mine anymore. Or If I give $1000 to a charity and the head of the charity pockets it. I don't think you would say it's not mine once I give it anymore. I think you'd be pissed off and demand it back!

zoltan

Depending on what you have, you could always go to the Delhi railway station & give some items out to some of the people who are sleeping there.

But, you would have to be sure that you don't start a riot, because someone got something and another person didn't.

Cheers
Zoltan

__________________
India (and other) photos click here

the opoponax

Actually, I have my own funny story about that. There's a consignment shop in my neighborhood which buys secondhand clothes. It's a popular place to bring old clothes that are still in good condition, because you can usually get enough money from selling your clothes to go grab a pint, order out a pizza, or something else fun. Now, of course, they don't buy everything, just what they think they can sell. So you lug a huge bag of old clothes down there, they sift through them, and decide to buy only a few things, offering you a pathetic sum (probably not even enough for that pizza!). However, they are willing to truck the discards over to Goodwill for you, free of charge. How nice is that?

Except once I dropped by a few weeks after my spring cleaning, only to see something that had once belonged to me, which they had declined and said they'd take to Goodwill! And they were selling it for a pretty penny!

Now THAT I was annoyed by, because they explicitly said that they gave the unwanted things to charity. Though to be perfectly honest with you, I think I was more annoyed that they'd shafted me out of a couple bucks.

Sama

uh, yeah. why would I claim otherwise? if I gave it away, it's gone. end of story.

uh, no. once it's gone, it's gone. why would I be attached to it? unless you want to go through the trouble of hiring a lawyer, suing to get it back, etc. and how would you know the head of the charity pockets it anyway? like that is common knowledge? like they announce it?

American Airlines in the US has cancelled over 1000 flights in the last week in order to check out wiring on certain planes. the husband of a friend was supposed to fly out to a spiritual retreat. he can't get there now. the retreat center is keeping the $700 he paid for the retreat, no refunds. he thinks it will be bad karma if he argues with the them to try to get his money back. what is he supposed to do? cry about it? get upset about something he has no control over?

why? will you not be able to pay your rent because of those couple of bucks? you won't be able to eat, to buy food? once you gave your clothes away, they're gone. the organization can do whatever they want with them -- either sell them or throw them in the alley. why be attached to old clothes that you gave away anyway? can you do anything about it? so why be upset?

__________________
My India, 2005-2008

"a clear conscience is the sign of a bad memory"