Did You Know

Piles of wasted clothing. Textile waste.

Clothing Waste

According to the EPA, the main source of textiles in municipal solid waste (MSW) is discarded clothing, and, to a lesser extent,  footwear, sheets and towels. In 2018, 17 million tons of textile waste was generated in the United States. Of that, 2.5 million tons was recycled, 3.2 million tons was combusted and 11.3 million tons was landfilled.[1]

Homelessness

According to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report for 2022, there were at least 3,625 unsheltered homeless persons in the state. Statewide there is an estimated total of 9,382 homeless people – 2,730 families with children and 6,652 individuals with a total of 5,757 people sheltered.[2] We could find no official count of homeless people in our immediate area but our personal estimate is 200 or more.

Providing clothing to those in need.
Little child in foster care

Foster Children

In February 2023, WBTV Charlotte reported that there are over 12,000 children in foster care in North Carolina. There are less than 6,000 licenses foster homes in the state and some children are having to sleep in social services offices and local jails. [3][4]

Caring with clothing/
2 Shirts Ministry – 100% Love, 100% Care

Sources

[1] (EPA) USEPA (2021) Facts and figures about materials, waste and recycling: textiles: material-specific data. Available from https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/textiles-material-specific-data. Accessed 23 September 2023.

[2] (HUD) USDHUD (2022) The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Available from https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf. Accessed 23 September 2023.

[3] WBTV Charlotte, North Carolina. “Foster care shortage leading to crisis in North Carolina, data shows.” 1 February 2023. Available at https://www.wbtv.com/2023/02/02/foster-care-shortage-leading-crisis-north-carolina-data-shows/. Accessed 23 September 2023.

[4] WHO CARES: A National Count of Foster Homes and Families. Available at https://www.fostercarecapacity.com/states/north-carolina. Accessed 23 September 2023.

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