A Great Time to Donate!
When the time for us to move rolls around, I get excited about the new location, of course. But I also harbor a not-so-secret love of getting rid of shit.
A move is the perfect time to assess your possessions, and come to that realization that, gee, you didn't even unpack that whole box full of wine festival glasses that you amassed after years of attendance. What should you do with it?
I know I am really plucking some hoarder nerves out there. Questions a hoarder may be asking themselves are as follows:
Here's the thing: you're not going to miss those wine glasses, and the proof is that you haven't missed them for however long they were in your storage, unused and forgotten. They aren't collector's items; you basically got them for free. Hate to break it to ya, but they need to go, along with those other dusty items you have sitting around!
The upside is, there are PLENTY of wonderful organizations that can take your unused, forgotten, dusty old items and either monetize them for charity or give them directly to those more in need. As we roll into a move this month, I have been placing many items aside for donation to various organizations, and I wanted to share a few of them with you! Hopefully, you can use some of these options to donate yourself, even if it is just for the tax return or extra storage space!
1. Green Drop - Converts your items into funding for American charities. You get to pick which one of their main charities your items will help fund (I like the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation). Also, they will pick up your items from your home during a specified window of time, which is nice when you barely have the time to gather up your things, much less find a location to take them. There are also donation sites around the country available for drop offs. This organization does give you a receipt for your tax information.
2. DC Diaper Bank- This is a great one for you new moms and dads out there looking to get rid of baby stuff, like maybe those boxes and canisters of formula you get mailed on the daily but never broke into. There is also a National Diaper Bank Network, and as it sounds, these organizations work to ensure no mother out there goes without the necessities to feed and cloth themselves and their children. They accept items like women's and baby's hygiene products (think soaps, sanitary napkins, etc.), formula, and of course, diapers.
*For moms who are done cloth diapering (congratulations!) and wishing to donate cloth diapers, there are also many cloth diaper banks, usually locally run. You can either buy new ones to be sent, like a registry program, or donate used ones that will be loaned out by the organization to those in need. The Rebecca Foundation has a very clearly outlined program that is worth looking into.
3. The Vietnam Veterans of America also works to specifically help veterans of the Vietnam War, and also includes a pickup service.
I encourage you to research the organizations you are giving to; for instance, you may be tempted to drop off at the local Goodwill. This is totally fine, but be aware that the majority of their profits do not go to any charities or programs that specifically benefit your community. I've definitely donated to Goodwill because they are convenient and rarely exclude any type of items (such as outdated electronics), but I try to dig a little deeper and find even just a locally run consignment or thrift store. If you are on base, there is generally a thrift store that will take uniforms, as well; this is helpful when you're having that crisis moment with your husband about just ripping off name tapes from retired uniforms and tossing them in your regular donate pile.
Oh, also, as a #4 for this list: if you are a nursing mom that has amassed way more breast milk than you think you can reasonably use, please consider giving your excess milk to a Milk Bank in your area. The Human Milk Banking Association of North America helps to regulate a system of providing breast milk to preemies and other babies in intensive care across North America. The milk (and donating mother) go through a rigorous screening and testing process to ensure only the safest milk is given. The milk also goes through a sanitizing process; think of it as giving blood, or even how cow's milk is commercially prepared to meet safety and cleanliness standards.
Local milk banks can be found through the internet, hospitals, and local charity organizations; I know CHKD has a great program for donor milk. Please, if you have excess milk already collected or are producing more than your baby needs, look into this option!
Not only will donating your items help clear out your house of unnecessary and unused items, you can really add to someone else's quality of life. It may be a charity, a person in need, an ill baby, or even just someone out there thrifting. You are giving your things away, but you're filling up hearts. That is a worthy trade, my friend.
So get into that storage and start digging!! I know we will be traveling from DC much lighter than we came, and it feels great.
Happy Donating!
-Big A.
A move is the perfect time to assess your possessions, and come to that realization that, gee, you didn't even unpack that whole box full of wine festival glasses that you amassed after years of attendance. What should you do with it?
DONATE THOSE SUCKASSSS!!!!!
I know I am really plucking some hoarder nerves out there. Questions a hoarder may be asking themselves are as follows:
- What if we have an enormous amount of people over that requires us serving everyone wine in matching glasses?
- What if I suddenly change my wine glass preferences from the lovely Camille wine glass of Olivia Pope fame to a generic and taster-size glass imprinted with "Town Point Park Wine Festival 2014" in various colors and degrees of fade?
- What if these wine glasses become a serious collector's item, a la Beanie Babies, and I get rid of mine and lose out on millions of pennies worth of money?!?
Here's the thing: you're not going to miss those wine glasses, and the proof is that you haven't missed them for however long they were in your storage, unused and forgotten. They aren't collector's items; you basically got them for free. Hate to break it to ya, but they need to go, along with those other dusty items you have sitting around!
The upside is, there are PLENTY of wonderful organizations that can take your unused, forgotten, dusty old items and either monetize them for charity or give them directly to those more in need. As we roll into a move this month, I have been placing many items aside for donation to various organizations, and I wanted to share a few of them with you! Hopefully, you can use some of these options to donate yourself, even if it is just for the tax return or extra storage space!
1. Green Drop - Converts your items into funding for American charities. You get to pick which one of their main charities your items will help fund (I like the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation). Also, they will pick up your items from your home during a specified window of time, which is nice when you barely have the time to gather up your things, much less find a location to take them. There are also donation sites around the country available for drop offs. This organization does give you a receipt for your tax information.
2. DC Diaper Bank- This is a great one for you new moms and dads out there looking to get rid of baby stuff, like maybe those boxes and canisters of formula you get mailed on the daily but never broke into. There is also a National Diaper Bank Network, and as it sounds, these organizations work to ensure no mother out there goes without the necessities to feed and cloth themselves and their children. They accept items like women's and baby's hygiene products (think soaps, sanitary napkins, etc.), formula, and of course, diapers.
*For moms who are done cloth diapering (congratulations!) and wishing to donate cloth diapers, there are also many cloth diaper banks, usually locally run. You can either buy new ones to be sent, like a registry program, or donate used ones that will be loaned out by the organization to those in need. The Rebecca Foundation has a very clearly outlined program that is worth looking into.
 |
| Some well loved Bumgenius diapers that will have a second life! |
I encourage you to research the organizations you are giving to; for instance, you may be tempted to drop off at the local Goodwill. This is totally fine, but be aware that the majority of their profits do not go to any charities or programs that specifically benefit your community. I've definitely donated to Goodwill because they are convenient and rarely exclude any type of items (such as outdated electronics), but I try to dig a little deeper and find even just a locally run consignment or thrift store. If you are on base, there is generally a thrift store that will take uniforms, as well; this is helpful when you're having that crisis moment with your husband about just ripping off name tapes from retired uniforms and tossing them in your regular donate pile.
Oh, also, as a #4 for this list: if you are a nursing mom that has amassed way more breast milk than you think you can reasonably use, please consider giving your excess milk to a Milk Bank in your area. The Human Milk Banking Association of North America helps to regulate a system of providing breast milk to preemies and other babies in intensive care across North America. The milk (and donating mother) go through a rigorous screening and testing process to ensure only the safest milk is given. The milk also goes through a sanitizing process; think of it as giving blood, or even how cow's milk is commercially prepared to meet safety and cleanliness standards.
Local milk banks can be found through the internet, hospitals, and local charity organizations; I know CHKD has a great program for donor milk. Please, if you have excess milk already collected or are producing more than your baby needs, look into this option!
Not only will donating your items help clear out your house of unnecessary and unused items, you can really add to someone else's quality of life. It may be a charity, a person in need, an ill baby, or even just someone out there thrifting. You are giving your things away, but you're filling up hearts. That is a worthy trade, my friend.
So get into that storage and start digging!! I know we will be traveling from DC much lighter than we came, and it feels great.
Happy Donating!
-Big A.
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