North Americans send 10 million tons of clothing to the landfill every year. Aiming to put a dent in that statistic is a non-profit run by Canadian youth that picks up and re-locates the discarded clothing to people who desperately need it.
The Uplift Canada Foundation is all about making giving easier. The registered non-profit organization up-cycles donated clothing and gives them to local shelters in the area. Aside from preventing the waste of clothing, according to the NGO, their work alleviates environmental and social justice inequalities in a way that benefits both the giver and the receiver.
“Additionally, The Uplift Canada Foundation aims to primarily support individuals who are systematically overrepresented in shelter housing situations,” a recent press release from the foundation reads. “We aim to foster equitable relationships with the shelters and citizens we collaborate with.”
With that in mind, the organization has consulted various BC-based shelters and is only accepting items the shelter residents are requesting that month. This April, Uplift is asking Burnaby residents to do a bit of spring cleaning and find some select clothing items to put into a bag and leave it on the doorstep.
The list of needed clothing donations and the shelters they will be going to is as follows:
On the last Saturday of each month, which this month is April 24, Uplift’s volunteers will pick up the bags and have them sorted and folded for a Sunday drop-off.
In order to request a clothing donation pick-up, Burnaby residents can fill out a pick-up form on Uplift’s website.
