<p>I tend to be a “start with one room, one section at at time” kind of person. My next target is the coat closet in the foyer - SCARY in there!!! </p>
<p>Also a great feeling when you revisit an area you have cleaned out - it looks so great!!!</p>
<p>Okay, I am IN! We really need it. Had already set a one hour date with Hubby and daughter at 8pm tonight to work at getting the house in order.</p>
<p>You guys have to help me keep this bumped up, ok? Whenever you get the urge to clean out a drawer, closet or section of the garage (look at YOU!!), post it here to help keep us motivated!</p>
<p>Do try and find places to donate some things. Besides Goodwill, many places have religious affiliated similar type places (Catholic Charities, etc.). Daycare centers/schools may take gently used children’s books (key word: gently used). Things of more value - put your teenager to work selling it on Amazon/Ebay or some people do this as a side job taking a % of the selling price.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that animal shelters can use some items too. Old towels, sheets as well as animal oriented products. Donate, don’t just toss stuff!</p>
<p>This may be a little weird, but my family and I actually donate most of our things to Poland. Apparently my family owns an orphanage there (and my great-grandmother’s name is listed on some plaque), and they really appreciate and use everything we send them. It’s kind of expensive to ship, but we feel that we’re doing good for our heritage and our family’s town. I have far removed cousins from there that take the first pick, and their parents write my grandmother all kinds of nice things.</p>
<p>Places to donate:
Goodwill
Similar religious charities
Easter Seals
Gently Used Books - daycares, schools, literacy programs
Animal shelters - old towels, sheets, pet supplies
Children’s Services/CASA - various kids supplies</p>
<p>Feel free to copy and add to the list above and repost so it’s easy to find…</p>
<p>I’m joining. If I don’t my husband will probably sign me up.</p>
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<p>I donate almost exclusively to a battered women’s shelter. A lot of the women and their kids leave their homes with nothing and need everything.</p>
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<p>Places to donate:
Goodwill
Similar religious charities
Easter Seals (around here they take clothes, home stuff, toys, etc.)
Gently Used Books - daycares, schools, literacy programs
Animal shelters - old towels, sheets, pet supplies
Children’s Services/CASA - various kids supplies
Battered Women’s shelters - call and see what they might use</p>
<p>I’m in. We are starting to think about downsizing in a few years and I would love to have the weeding out done way before a moving day.</p>
<p>If you have old iPods to donate, there is an organization I heard about on NPR called Music and Memories. They load the iPods with a personalized playlist for people suffering from dementia. You can see some really touching stories on their web site about the project and on the site they also provide a postage paid mailing label to make donations. The web address is musicandmemory dot org.</p>
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<p>csfmap, great idea about the iPods. Here’s the link:</p>
<p><a href=“https://musicandmemory.org/donate-my-ipod/[/url]”>https://musicandmemory.org/donate-my-ipod/</a></p>
<p>I’ve been bagging things for charity for years. At this point you’d think we would be down to owning just a few pieces of furniture and three outfits apiece, but we seem to always have more to get rid of! What has helped me stick with it are several charities who call us to arrange for a pick up. They send trucks, and we leave labeled bags on the front porch. They leave a tax form behind. I have a permanent spot for bags in the garage, and always have at least one bag to donate when they call.</p>
<p>Purple Heart
Viet Nam Veterans of America
a local children’s hospital</p>
<p>I won’t be doing a bag a week until I’m done with grad school in March but at that point, I was actually considering getting a dumpster. I plan on putting new flooring in 80% of the house so everything will have to be moved and some old flooring needs to be removed. I thought if I just get a dumpster, I can put the old flooring in there plus all the stuff that isn’t appropriate to donate anywhere.</p>
<p>I also told my D that she needs to go through her bedroom and figure out what she might want to keep forever, what she wants for now and what she really doesn’t care about. Since she thinks she’s never going to really live at home again, this needs to be done. Her room is going to be majorly remodeled into a more useful space- guest room and possibly my sewing room.</p>
<p>Gosmom- a few years ago I started a “friends and family tree” Christmas tree. I took all the Christmas photo cards and cut out the photos, mounted them on red card stock, zigzagged the edges and glued red satin loops to hang them as ornaments. It’s fun to add new people to the tree each year. I wouldn’t feel bad about tossing photos of people you can’t recognize and old photos you don’t want.
I started this week sorting and pitching paperwork. After dealing with it at work all day, I come home and don’t want to touch it. Also, mom moved in and I now have her paperwork to deal with. I could toss a bag a week of sweepstakes mail and donation request mail from her alone.</p>
<p>Been there, done that. Have basically run out of things to donate or get rid of unless we really pare down the stuff- not counting annual purge of the filing cabinet. Moving a long distance and downsizing was the first incentive. House renovations- had contractor take as much as possible to Habitat for Humanity- they sell a lot of stuff to people looking for replacements. I suppose we could go absolutely minimalist but some stuff can no longer be found and some clothing in hard to find sizes if needed (work wardrobe after retirement).</p>
<p>I usually donate clothes and household goods to the local Interfaith Clothing Center. They have a shop where clients can go and pick out stuff for free.</p>
<p>My sister said she’d be thrilled to take some hand-me-downs. Was just worried that she’d look it as me throwing my weight loss in her face. Packed two boxes of stuff for her today and will take it to her the next time I head to GA.</p>
<p>Also filled a bag with old papers from the filing cabinet. Off to recycling!</p>
<p>Places to donate:
Goodwill
Similar religious charities
Easter Seals (around here they take clothes, home stuff, toys, etc.)
Gently Used Books - daycares, schools, literacy programs
Animal shelters - old towels, sheets, pet supplies
Children’s Services/CASA - various kids supplies
Battered Women’s shelters - call and see what they might use
Purple Heart
Viet Nam Veterans of America
Local children’s hospital</p>
<p>Years ago I donated lots of board games to our local hospital. I called first and they told me to bring them to a certain floor. I did, and was met with the most amazingly bored response. “Oh, you can put them in that room.” I did, and no one even thanked me. That was kind of surprising. I wasn’t looking for an award, but a simple “thanks” would have been nice.</p>
<p>Hopefully some children and their families have been able to pass the time by using those board games.</p>
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<p>I’m sorry if this has already been talked about, but does anyone know which charity/place can best use purses? I was thinking about just giving them to a church to let them deal with it, but I’d like to be more proactive about it myself.</p>
<p>Harvest, do you have a Dress for Success group in your area? Its a non profit that outfits women (and men) heading out into the workforce. They take purses, jewelry, shoes, and clothes.</p>