Darryl E. Owens: Salvation Army needs your sweaters, not just pennies

A couple of times a year I go thru what we don't need anymore and donate them to the Vietnam Veterans. After reading this, I'm going to do it one extra time this year and drop them off at the Salvation Army. How about you? I know times are tough and you may want to sell some of the things you don't need at a yard sale, but you do get a tax deduction with donating to the Salvation Army at the same time you're doing something good for someone else.

Darryl E. Owens: Salvation Army needs your sweaters, not just pennies
Black Friday

with shoppers lining up at ungodly hours to nab heavenly deals -- traditionally starts the winter-holiday shopping season.

Traditionally, it has also marked high tide in the flood of donations to charitable groups such as the Salvation Army, as enlightened altruists think end-of-the-year tax breaks.

But then, traditions are made to be broken.

If the past six months are prologue, the group known for trotting out a red kettle during Christmastime may need to pass around a tin cup to scare up enough donations to serve the swelling ranks of the needy who depend on its thrift stores to clothe their families.

From the beginning, donated items plunged. Daily donations that once averaged about 8,000 pieces of clothing have slumped to between 4,000 and 5,000.

"We don't know if people are wanting to hold on to items or stretch the life of their clothing or bric-a-brac," says Justine Birmingham, a spokeswoman for the charity.

Meanwhile, the plunging financial markets sparked soaring thrift-store sales, Birmingham says.

Only supply isn't meeting the record demand.

"While we have large numbers coming in wanting to purchase, wanting to make their dollars stretch more, unfortunately, we don't always have the products," Birmingham says.
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