There are people that have everything they need, and there are others that cannot afford their basic living requirements. If you look around in your community, you will likely find many people that need things like clothing, food, and other necessities. If you would like to help out these people, below are two ways you can do this.

Donate Your Car

If you have a car that you no longer drive, you should consider donating it instead of selling it if you do not need the extra money.  Find a charity in your area that can receive gifts that are tax-deductible if you itemize your deductions. The IRS may give you a charitable contribution deduction to put towards your income tax.

If your car is not drive-able, make sure you call ahead of time to let the charity know this. Some charities may require the car to run properly before they will take it. Take time to clean the car well. If it has not been driven in some time, take it to a mechanic to have it checked out.

Run a Collection Drive

You can run a collection drive to collect things like food, clothing, blankets, books, dishes, and other things people need. Decide exactly what you want to collect, and then select a collection site for people to bring these things to you to donate. Some sites that work well include schools, churches, an office building, or other local establishments.

Contact a local charity that will take the items that you collect once the drive is over. For example, you may have a local food bank if you are collecting food items.

Take time to advertise the collection drive. You can do this by creating flyers to hand out, newspaper announcements, and posters.  On the advertisement put the name of your drive, exactly what you are collecting, the dates of the drive, and the time that you are collecting the items. Make sure you choose convenient times, as there are many people who will need to come before or after work. Provide enough boxes to put the items in. You should make sure you have extras on hand just in case you run out of boxes. Consider using small or medium sized boxes, as they will be much easier to handle when they are full.

If you have children, they can also help. Talk with their school to see if they can set up a clothing drive, or collect school supplies for students in need. Talk to charities about donating my car.