The holiday season may be months ahead, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t get into the spirit of giving right now! In fact, spring is a perfect time to make charitable donations. As you do your spring cleaning, why not organize what you can donate and what you can keep?

While there are several honorable and worthwhile causes to give back to, many Americans feel quite strongly about showing their appreciation and support for military families and veterans. While there’s no doubt that active duty military personnel and veterans demonstrated great courage, military spouses and families are often considered the unsung heroes of war due to the sacrifices they make on the home front.

It’s very common for organizations that help military families to receive the bulk of their charitable donations during the holiday season, however, military families can use a helping hand all year round. If you want to give back to the military and veteran community but are unsure of how or where to start, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Volunteering your time and energy is perhaps one of the best ways you can get involved with organizations that help military families. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities depending on your region, however, many organizations are always in need of packers, organizers, and drivers for their donation pick up services.

Clothing donations are one of the most important kind of donations you can give. It’s unfortunate that the overwhelming majority — 99% — of clothing that is discarded could be recycled. Unfortunately, the average American family discards roughly 68 pounds of clothing each year. Donating clothes allows you to give back the military and veteran community and help the environment at the same time by reduce textile waste. It’s a simple and easy win-win situation!