Old Clothes for Good Causes

Every now and then, ever so slowly, I am starting to clear things out for my move to Australia in... oh my... less than four months. I have to confess, I'm a hoarder with way too many clothes! There is a lot of work to get done in those four months.

One reason I am a hoarder is that I hate to throw out things that are still, or could be again, functional. I love buying new things, but hate throwing out the old. Well that's all got to change.

I've been separating my clothes into two lots. Lot 1 - the I still wear or can't bear to part with, and Lot 2 - has to go somewhere. It's the "where" that I haven't decided yet. Some I would love to remake, but know I don't have the time before I leave. I've talked about it before, but it's not as easy to donate clothes (or anything for that matter) to charity in Japan. Clothes get bundles and go out on recycling day. I like to think they they then go to charity, but am not so sure.

Today however, I have found one charity for items that I never thought of giving away before - pre-loved bras. Before moving to Japan, bras were one thing I really stocked up on, knowing that hell would freeze over before I could buy one here in my size. I know have many that, well... um.... no longer fit.

Uplift is a charity organisation that ships pre-loved bras to Fuji for women in need over there.

They say;

Disadvantaged Fijians get much of their
clothing from second hand Australian clothes shops. Bras are rare in these
shops, particularly in sizes to suit the indigenous Fijian build. A new bra
costs $40, and wages range from $1.50- $4.50/hour, for the indigenous people who have jobs.
In heat and humidity, rashes, fungal/thrush infections and
abscesses (intertrigo) occur between the breast and the chest wall. Bras will
help by allowing air circulation. Nursing mums everywhere leak, and bras allow
the dignity of a dry shirt, and the comfort of support. A thrush rash on a
mother's skin may spread to her baby's mouth, and then back into the breast
itself, a very painful infection. In some regions the lack of a bra is a badge
of poverty, and women appreciate the common dignity of wearing one, particularly
to church, business or social occasions.

If you're in Australia or New Zealand, there are many postal or drop off points. As I'm already posting internationally, I'm sending directly to Fiji.

Photo - Bras on a fence by Andrew Caswell

I now have to decide what to do with the rest of my clothing that I'm not taking back. A decent portion of it is good work clothes. I read of an organisation once that helped support disadvantaged women returning to the workforce. Does anyone have any suggestions?