Not sure what to do with old t-shirts? Or you want to help an organization in a simple and easy way? T-shirts are an inexpensive way to contribute.

One group is showing soldiers support with T-shirts. Students from Maine decided to write letters to their local troops serving in Iraq. After starting the project, they decided to send t-shirts, too. Kids from kindergarten to high school participated. They had a contest to design the shirt. The final product had the troops’ logo and that of their local high school with the town’s name.

It had a huge impact on the soldiers to know how much their work is appreciated by these kids. PFC Tom Crist is on his second tour. “It’s amazing. You get so caught up in the day to day operations, sometimes you forget how much everyone back home is thinking of you. We proudly wear our t-shirts and know who we’re really working for; the kids from our hometown.”

The project meant a lot to the students, too. “We were really, really excited. It was fun to make up the design,” said Henry Peters, age 12.

Project organizers said it was easy to make the shirts and other local businesses chipped in. Principle Ann Sanders explains. “A group of marinas went in together and bought and donated the t-shirts. Then, a silk-screener in town said he would do the printing as a donation. All together, this was a great team effort.”

You can also donate plain shirts to groups and allow them to put their own logos on them. The Helen Krouse Animal Shelter had a drive for new plain white or colored shirts. People donated hundreds of them. The organization had the shirts silk-screened with their logos and the theme for the annual Pet Walk. By using donated t-shirts, the group saved hundreds of dollars!

Have old t-shirts you want to get rid of? You can donate those, too.

Local groups that serve your community are always looking for donations. Try Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and Volunteers of America. They all have thrift shops. Another place to drop clothes is local shelters and low-income drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. Many of these people are just getting back on their feet and could use some decent clothes.

Other national groups send gently used and new t-shirts to poor communities around the world. Just check on line with www.kidsforcommunity.org, just one of many sites that do this. You send the group your shirts and they’ll get them to people in need. Shirts bearing American sports logos, designers and other U.S. marketing icons are very popular.