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Donate Your Clothing: Make a difference in someone else’s life and feel good about it, too!

This is a sponsored post as part of the Let your Natural Beauty Shine Through with Zeno & Her Campus program.

I love to shop just as much as the next girl. While my wallet probably isn’t too happy with my shopping preferences, finding the sundress I’ll wear all summer or purchasing (yet another) pair of shoes does wonders for my mood. New clothing makes me look forward to getting dressed in the morning and gives me energy to start my day.

When I came home with a new pair of shorts from the Gap yesterday, I struggled to find room for them in my closet. Unless you’re Carrie Bradshaw, you’re probably familiar with the phenomenon I’m talking about – overflowing clothes from every place possible, right? I was inspired to dig through my closet to see what I could take out to make room for my new purchase.

I found tops that had only been worn once or twice, jeans that hadn’t been touched in years, and a jacket I bought on impulse last year with the tags still attached. These items were just sitting in the back of my closet, untouched. There’s no reason for all my unworn clothing to go to waste, so instead, I donated gently-worn items I no longer wear to the Salvation Army. My donated clothing will be sold at low prices, which will benefit young women who aren’t able to afford to shop for clothing at full price. The proceeds from my donation will help fund the organization’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers, which help equip those struggling with substance abuse and various other issues with the tools necessary to re-enter society on the right foot.

Donating to the Salvation Army helped remind me that I have the power to make a difference in someone else’s life. Everyone deserves to feel great in a new pair of jeans, regardless of whether those jeans are from the mall or the Salvation Army. Sure, I might have been sporting a messy ponytail and under-eye bags the size of small European countries, but I was happy to do my part to help someone else feel beautiful. That’s true natural beauty!

If you’re interested in donating your gently-worn or unworn clothing to a good cause, check out the Salvation Army, Donate My Dress, Dress for Success, and Goodwill.

Originally from Boston, Hannah is now a sophomore at New York University and loves life in the big city. Her favorite things include poking fun at celebrities on Twitter, yoga, leopard print shoes, Frank Sinatra, and her little sister Julia. Hannah was Her Campus's first editorial intern in Summer 2010 and has since continued her involvement with HC as the High School Editor and head of the High School Ambassador program. She is a former Seventeen and Huffington Post intern, where she researched and wrote about celebrities and once made lunch for Kylie Jenner. Read her short-form ramblings at @hannahorens.