By: Mateo Garcia

Volunteering has always been a passion of mine. I enjoy giving back to my community - whether it is at school, at home or abroad. One place where I enjoy working is at my local American Red Cross chapter where I have been volunteering for three years now. I like it here so much that I am now interning with them. 

My first assignment is to expand our clothing collection program to collect bags of unused clothing. We do this through clothing drives, partnering with local businesses, and placement of bins throughout the area. The Red Cross has teamed up with a clothes-collecting business called We Collect Clothes “For a Cause.” Every bag of clothing obtained is sold to thrift stores or clothing recycling companies. Then, the Red Cross receives a portion of the money. Those funds enable us to run health and safety programs, community outreach events and upgrade current services.

For more information about donating your clothes, visit the site for We Collect Clothes.

Mateo Garcia will also be blogging for myImpact this summer. He just finished his first year of college at George Washington University (shout-out to all the Colonials out there!) where he is majoring in international affairs, and no, not the kind with the Straus Khan affair. Currently, he is at home in New Jersey where he is interning at the American Red Cross chapter and virtually for myImpact.

For now, enjoy these beautiful summer days and keep logging in those service hours!