With many charities no longer accepting used clothes for distribution among the poor, mosques are now filling this role.
A number of mosques have big boxes where citizens and expatriates can place their old clothing. The clothes can be taken by anyone wanting to sell them.
Ibrahim Amer, a Jeddah resident, told Arab News that a local charity no longer accepts old clothes from him.
"I used to donate my used clothes every year to a charity. I was surprised when an official of the charity told me they've stopped taking used clothes and only accept financial donations. So I placed my used clothes beside a mosque," Amer said.
There are more than 80 private charities operating in Jeddah but no precise statistics on beneficiaries. Most of these charities focus on the poor inside the Kingdom.
Ahmad Hussain, a charity office manager in Jeddah, said: "There are some charity associations receiving used clothes. However, there are many others who are no longer accepting these clothes.
"Most of our offices do not have enough space to receive used clothes. There are many mosques playing a big role in doing so now with special boxes."
Many people prefer to donate jackets and pullovers that the poor can't afford.
Many mosques launch summer and winter campaigns to collect old clothes but these are limited in scope.
Abu Muhanad, a resident, said: "It is a shame some of us have to put our old clothes in the garbage when there are many poor people who need these clothes."
He said it was a good thing that mosques are now taking up the role of these charities to collect old clothes. He criticized the charities for failing in their duty to help the poor.
Mosques collect used clothes for charity
