A Devil in Your Donations?

Part of what we do at Planet Aid is dispel myths about secondhand clothing; for example, how much is generated in the United States, where it goes, why it is needed, and so on. However, we were completely flummoxed Monday by televangelist Pat Robertson who said that secondhand clothes could be possessed by demons. That was a first.

"Not every sweater at Goodwill is possessed by demons, but it's a good idea to pray over secondhand clothes just in case," was how Mr Robertson's comments were reported online. (Planet Aid considers it a minor blessing that the clothing we collect was spared.... at least for now.) Robertson added that clothing could be possessed just like any other inanimate object. Well that certainly helped take the pressure off.

If there are demons in secondhand clothing, they certainly have many places to hide. According to the EPA: an estimated 15 million tons of textiles were generated in 2013.

In our view, the millions of tons of perfectly good clothing that are buried in landfills or burned in incinerators are indeed cursed, but not in the spiritual sense. We have made it our mission to "save" this clothing from such eternal damnation. Used clothing and shoes can be "born again." For example, a used T-shirt can help protect a Honduran farmer from the intense tropical sun or a pair of sneakers shod the feet of a Malawian AIDS worker, while also helping to alleviate poverty. Join us today in spreading the good word.