In Chicago, many families struggle to afford basic clothing, even as millions of pounds of wearable textiles are discarded each year. These parallel challenges — community need and environmental waste — are more connected than they may seem.

April, which marks both National Volunteer Month and Earth Month, offers a timely opportunity to recognize that connection and act on it. Volunteer Month honors those who give their time in service of others, while Earth Month raises awareness of sustainability. Too often, we think of those as separate calls to action.

But what if one simple act could do both?

Giving back doesn’t have to be complicated or costly; it can start with something as simple as cleaning out your closet and choosing to pass those items along with purpose. Each year, Americans discard more than 17 million tons of textiles, with more than two-thirds ending up in landfills, even though many of those items are still wearable.nChicago is no exception. At the same time, families across our communities are struggling to afford basic essentials like clothing for their children.

These aren’t separate problems; they are two sides of the same solution.

In the right hands, an outgrown jacket or pair of shoes can make the difference between a child staying home and showing up to school prepared and confident, while also reducing waste.

That’s where volunteerism takes on a new meaning.

At Cradles to Crayons, we see how volunteer-driven models can simultaneously meet basic needs for kids in the Chicago area and reduce environmental waste. Through our partnership with Chicago Textile Recycling, we’ve diverted more than 1 million pounds of textiles from landfills since 2017. Proof that with the right systems in place, donated clothing can be redistributed to children or redirected through nonprofit and recycling partners to be reused, resold or repurposed.

But the impact of this work isn’t only environmental. It also brings people together. Each week, students, families, colleagues and neighbors gather around a shared purpose. At a time when loneliness and isolation are rising across the country, these moments of connection matter.

Dawn Melchiorre, executive director, Cradles to Crayons Chicago

Interchange fee restrictions can make life harder for many Illinoisans

More than 4 million Illinois families rely on credit unions for safe, affordable financial services. These institutions provide essentials that support financial stability — free checking accounts, fraud protection and credit card rewards that put money back into consumers’ pockets.

Credit unions are nonprofit cooperatives owned by the people they serve. Their mission is simple: expand access to affordable financial services and strengthen local communities. Built on the principle of “people helping people,” they are often the only trusted financial lifeline for families underserved by large national banks — offering credit-building programs, affordable auto loans, and pathways to homeownership.

They also provide secure, convenient access to money through debit and credit cards. Behind every quick tap or swipe is a complex system that protects consumers from fraud. That system is supported, in part, by interchange revenue — a small fee paid by merchants when customers use electronic payments.

The Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act was marketed as a consumer protection measure. In reality, it primarily benefits large national retailers while placing new strain on the community-based institutions millions of Illinoisans depend on.

Supporters claim the law will reduce costs by eliminating interchange fees on taxes and tips. But there is no requirement that merchants pass those savings onto consumers and little reason to believe they will.

We have seen this before. When Congress capped debit card interchange fees under the Durbin Amendment in 2011, retailers promised lower prices. Instead, most kept the savings. Consumers lost free checking, saw rewards disappear and faced higher banking fees.

Illinois is now poised to repeat that mistake.

The law also creates real-world challenges. It requires payment systems to separate taxes and tips from transactions — something current infrastructure is not designed to do. Compliance will require costly upgrades to point-of-sale systems and processing networks — costs that small businesses are least able to absorb.

That leaves Illinois families stuck in the middle: fewer rewards, fewer free services and potentially higher banking costs, with little chance of lower prices. In the end, consumers could pay more — not less.

Lawmakers should repeal this flawed law before its unintended consequences make everyday banking more expensive and less accessible for the people who depend on it most.

Libby Calderone, president and CEO, Illinois Credit Union League

Library of lies

I trust Donald Trump’s presidential library will have only one section: fiction. The material will reflect all the falsehoods and lies that have flowed from this egotistical and narcissistic excuse for a president.

Tony Prevolos, Bonita Springs ,Florida

Speak up and change country’s trajectory

I commend S.E. Cupp for her bold column last week on Donald Trump supporters and how most of them are explicit examples of “compliance equals complicity.” The integrity of the Republican majority is unveiled as it continually ignores the incompetence, ignorance, disregard for the law and our fraying relationship with other nations under Trump. Those who support Republican leaders need to step up and demand a move to right the administration.

Saul Holmes, Chatham

Health tip

As a 35-year-plus retired health care worker, I found Drs. Monica Maalouf, Winnie Lin and Alec Nicolas Angelo Jotte’s letter supporting Medicare for All insightful. Realistically, I question our country’s political will to struggle with the implementation issues necessitated for such a policy, I would, however, suggest a more feasible first step: universal primary and preventative care including eye, dental and hearing.

Tim Ressel, Glen Ellyn