Donating Clothes & Toys After Christmas

You house just became a crazy place again didn’t it?  Now you have all these NEW things to find places for!  I will be many of you still have new clothes sitting in boxes full of tissue paper, still not put away. The drawers are full, closet is full… where will they go?

Toys sitting on the floor because the toy box or shelf is already over flowing with toys. Right?

Now.. I want you to be totally honest with yourself here.  I want you to go look at that closet, those drawers, those toys.  How many of those things have been sitting there, untouched for months? Maybe even years.  We all do it. We hold onto things.  That dress that looked so awesome, 50 pounds ago; that baby toy that we got and loved for your son that is now 10 years old. You know what I mean. It’s difficult to give things up.

Now, I want you to think about that family that has a father who lost his job, or that single mom who is working two jobs to help feed her three kids, that family that had a fire (probably in the news in the last week huh?) and lost everything.

                                                             (picture from google picasa)

Look again at your closet…. think about those who can really use those things…. look at those toys…. think about those kids who got absolutely nothing for Christmas.  Can’t you make some room in your house?

Selling Them?

I know of many people and hear many people who plan to sell everything.  I understand that, I get it – but… how long has that plan been in place? Have you ever executed it? Have you gotten that ebay store going like you keep saying you will?  When can you have the garage sale? In the summer… 6 months away?

Garage Sales - I have had garage sales in the past, I think they can be great. I can always use the money too. If the time of year is right, you have the motivation and time to do it… great – great… get ‘er done! If you can’t have one for months, then forget it.

I say – donate it and take the tax write off.  Help others and clear your house NOW!

Where do you donate?

Good Will
Local Shelters
Check with your Church or a local church
Check with your local Food Pantry
Check online for many resources

This is a food pantry that isn’t far from me.  I had a friend who used to work here. Most donate their time.  They had food that they gave out to those in need.

They also have a clothing thrift shop.  As I remember anyone could come in and purchase the donated clothing & toys at very low cost and for families in need, things were free.

Here was the pile of clothing and items that people had donated that the staff had yet to go through for the day.  You can’t see, but that pile was up to about my waist. Awesome!

When Donating 

Please don’t give them broken toys or toys missing pieces
No torn or damaged clothing (if you can’t wear it because of damage, others can’t either)

Donate and feel good, knowing you have just helped yourself and your family (by creating needed space, teaching valuable lessons to your children, helping with taxes, doing the right thing) and also knowing you are helping those in need.

Helping Others With Things You Don’t Use

I tend to donate most of my unused or unwanted things to the Good Will store in our town.  I have to admit it is the easy way out, but I got the most enjoyment when the kids and I went to our local nursing home and took them stuff animals we had.

Dave gets me stuff animals (I love to get them!) usually once a year or so for different occasions.  I  display one, maybe two of them on my dresser in my room and then store the others in a trunk at the end of my bed.

Elise, like many young girls had many stuffed animals that she was ready to give up.  We called the nursing home first and asked permission, and then took over several animals to hand out around Valentine’s Day.

It was a little uncomfortable for the kids and myself.  But it was a good uncomfortable. We were stepping out of our comfort zone, doing something we weren’t used to.  We had someone who walked us around and helped us decide which residences to give the stuffed animals to. I specifically asked for residents who did not have many vistors.

We had two different residents start crying. One kept saying… “Oh, this can’t be for me! This is too nice for me!” She began to cry and just hugged that stuffed animal.  I had a very difficult time not crying myself.

Wow…  the power in giving.

Think of all the things you have boxed up, packed up and hidden away.  Have you asked yourself why you are keeping it?

1. Keeping it for your kids?
2. Keeping it for memories?
3. Keeping it because you feel guilt?
4. Keeping it because you might use it one day?

I’m not saying to get rid of everything you have stored.  But I do want you to think about it.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. When was the last time you used it?
2. Is it something you can live without?
3. Is it something you think you will use each year? (holiday decorations, camping gear, skiing equipment)
4. Do you really need to keep it?
5. Could it benefit and help someone else, instead of being packed away in your house?

So you decide that you do need to get rid of some things, but how do you do it and who do you give it to?

First step it to go through and sort the items.  Decide what you need to keep and what you can give up.

Then decide where you can donate it.  Please only donate things that are in good shape.  No one wants your stained, torn or broken items.  When you take these items to a donation facility, they have to go through them. Guess what? They dispose of them. So help to save them some work.

Here are several suggestions:

1. Donate to a local shelter
2. Donate to a larger donation facility (Good Will, Kidney foundation etc)
3. Donate to your church or a local church that takes donations
4. Call your nursing home to see if they can use donations
5. Check the internet to see if there are any disaster areas that still need donations (tornado ravaged, or hurricane, earthquake areas)
6. Check with your local firehouse or city hall to ask if they know of any local residents who can use help.

If you feel that you can donate some things, but other things you can use some income for, here are a couple other ideas.

1. Have a garage sale
2. Take to a resale shop
3. Sell on eBay

I have had several people tell me that they have parents who have aged and have either a home that needs to be cleared out or  a storage facility that needs to be cleared out and they have no idea where to start.

You can start with a local Professional Organizer in your area.  They might have resources, or know of someone else that helps to take care of those kinds of situations.

Think of others

Think of the good that your item (that hasn’t been used, seen or thought about in years) might do for someone else

Donate your clutter! It will do a body good (yours and someone else’s!)

Some of you may recognize the pictures. I have done a previous post on donating to this nursing home.

Great Way To Off-Load Junk without Trashing The Planet

by: Janice Hill

Clearing out the clutter in your home and in your life can have a major impact on how much you enjoy the life you lead. If you and your family feel like your clutter is taking over your lives, it’s time to fight back.

Armed with a broom, a few handy-dandy trash bags, and an iron will there is nothing you can’t accomplish – at least not when it comes to the task of off-loading your junk without trashing the planet, that is.
You have to Crawl Before You Walk
Getting started is the hardest part by far. Depending on how long the problem has been building in your life, the task at hand can feel completely overwhelming. Now it’s time to take a few baby steps so that you can divide and conquer your clutter problems.
Don’t tackle the top of the mountain just yet. Instead, start at the bottom, one item at a time. Clear off enough space to create 3 piles: keep, toss, donate. There are plenty of great charities like Habitat for Humanity Stores, Goodwill, and Kars4kids that are all too happy to take your donations. Even animal shelters will be glad to receive things like old towels and blankets to line their cages.
You may need to get a few boxes to label so that you know what’s what. The things that are going to be tossed are generally in no shape to salvage at all. Recycle what can be recycled and carry the rest straight to your garbage container so that they do not find their way back into the clutter pile somehow.
Divide the room into grids and take one grid at a time, with frequent breaks in between, so that you aren’t completely overwhelmed and give up in frustration.
Take Time to Enjoy the New View
Once you finish cleaning one room – that is you have everything out that is going and everything put completely away that is staying – take a moment and enjoy the new view of your room before moving on to the next room. This little moment will help you sustain your momentum long enough to get the job done. It will also allow you a moment to appreciate the fruits of your labor.
When you do move on to the next room, remember all the things that got you through the first room. This new room represents a new beginning and a new opportunity to use what you’ve learned. Break it down into bite-sized pieces so you can enjoy small boosts throughout the cleaning process as you accomplish each and every one of your smaller goals. You’ll be surprised by how much faster the job seems to go when you do something like that.
BOTTOM LINE:
In the end, it isn’t the major changes that you’ve made to the cleanliness of your home that matters most. It’s the small changes in how you approach cleaning and getting rid of the clutter that matters. These are small steps that are sure to get you going in the right direction.

Janice Hill describes herself as a dedicated Mom who is determined to find her way without losing her hair.

Feel free to link up or just visit my Organizing Mission Monday Link Party!

I would love it if you could vote for my blog! You can vote up to once per day. Just click the button. Thank you!

I LOVE your comments!!

Kibbles ‘n Bits Bistro Dog Food to the rescue

I had the opportunity to purchase some dog food for my dogs to try and also to donate a bag to a local dog shelter. The timing couldn’t have been any better.  E has been talking about wanting to be a vet for some time. She is in 4th grade now.  She has also talked about volunteering at a dog shelter or vets office at some point.

Evidently the Second Chance Humane Shelter came and talked to the  kids at their school.  She decided that she wanted to go and help out.  Dave got the phone number for her and she wanted him to make the call.  Dave told her no, that he thought it was best if she made the call on her own.  She made the call and discussed it with the woman, and then they of course asked to talk to Dave to verify it.

They were all set for this last Sunday.  The perfect timing came in when last week I got the chance to go to Walmart and purchase a 16 pound bag of Kibbles ‘n Bits Bistro Dog Food to donate to a shelter. I was also supposed to buy one for my dogs, any size I wanted.

So off I went to Walmart.  I had some other shopping to do also, but didn’t have any trouble finding the dog section. I had been there many times before… so I should hope not. But there are hanging signs to make it easier.

The Kibbles ‘n Bits Bistro Dog food in the small 3 pound bags was on the end cap.  It was $4.95 and I decided to get that bag for my dogs.  We had an experience with changing their dog food once a year or so ago.  They both got sick and that isn’t something I want repeated! I figured I would let them have one bowl full and see how their systems handled it. Then if that went well… they could finish off the bag.

I had to find the bigger 16 pound bag also.  I went down a couple aisles. Found the dog toys, leashes, bowls etc… and the smaller bags of dry food.  But I didn’t see this brand in the small bags other than this end cap display at first.

I went down the aisle with the large bags and then I spotted them.. up near the front of the aisle (of course)

I knew I wanted to buy the new Bistro Meal dog food. I have to say that I was impressed with the picture on the bag.  Looked like  a really nice meal!!  lol

I then saw that there was a $2 off coupon right on the bag.  Coolio!!  So I grabbed one 16 pound bag and figured I’d be on my way. Then I spotted the other end cap (not sure how I missed it coming in!) with the big bags!  It was $12.  Of course then you take off the instant coupon of $2 and now I’m down to $10.  To make the pot even sweeter I printed off a $3 coupon at home.. so now I am down to $7 per bag.

Now I am no math wiz.. but I am smart enough to know that here I am with a 3 lb bag of food in my cart for $4.95. I could get a second bag 16 lb bag of food for $10 (I only had one of the $3 off coupons).  It was kind of a new brainer.  So I put the small bag back and got a 2nd big bag (that had a $2 coupon on it.. not all the bags did)

I did the rest of my shopping, and then checked out with a total of 3 coupons (two of the $2 instant and one $3 off).  Another fun surprise was that the big bags rang up as $11.48 instead of $12!   Wonder why they didn’t have that on the signs?  Just makes sense that the lower price would attract even more people to buy right?

Home to check out what my girls think of it. Sadie is 8 years old.. and she is checking out the picture of good food! Gizzy is my food hog, she is 6 years old.  She also was very excited.

According to everything that it says on the bag… this stuff looks really good.  There are vitamins, antioxidants and protein.  We buy our dog food primarily on cost.  I would like to say we get our food at the vets office (I used to years ago when money wasn’t so tight) but we have 5 kids at home and 8 total.  We just don’t have the money in the budget to spend on the best food for the dogs.  They are both happy, healthy, and in good shape.

I let them both try it first.. and then I used it for some tricks.  Sadie is the pickier of the two when it comes to food.. and she was ready to do about any trick after she first tasted it…. so that was a good sign.

Then the big test.  I cleared out their other food from their other food.  I washed the bowl out… and then put the Kibbles ‘n Bits Bistro Dog food in.

Instant run for the food.  You would have thought these girls had not eaten in a week.  Seriously!  They had food in their bowl before I switched them out…. and they hadn’t been hungry!.

These dogs ate for like 20 minutes! I cleaned the kitchen and folded clothes and put in another load in the laundry and they were still eating. This is what the bowl looked like after their “dinner”

I think it was a success.  And a bigger success in that I can say two days later that neither dog has gotten sick from it.

Now for the rest of the adventure.  On Sunday we went over to the shelter in Johnstown where E was volunteering.

I told them what I was doing and asked if I could take some pictures. They were fine with that.  It was a house, actually Holly’s house and her sister Paula was there working.  There were also 3 girls (including E) and the one girls father helping out.

I don’t remember all the dogs names or who had what name.. so I won’t even try. lol

She said that they had about 50 dogs there presently and that the cats were in the other part of the house. We didn’t go in to see them. Paula was wonderful with all the dogs.

The place wasn’t in the best of shape… there was nothing fancy about it.  Repairs were needed, but the dogs were all clean, they all had beds up off the floor with blankets.  They had clean paper on the floor and their play yard was clean.

The cages were full walk in cages.. not small little ones that can only hold one dog.  They all had assigned cages and they knew which ones were theirs. They got to come out in groups to eat and play outside. Can you imagine the food that 50 dogs go through?

Or all the work involved with taking care of them?

This is a shelter that is supported by donations only.

They had the smaller dogs inside and the larger ones out back.

E is getting ready to go out to show us the play area.

Someone was getting their belly rubbed…. ahhhh…

I went out to the back area.  Holly was back there with the bigger dogs.  She brought a couple out to show me… they had their own little house back there with heat.  There were cages inside and ones outside so they could play.

Each dog had a story attached to it. The reason they were there. These two brothers had been indoor dogs since they were pups. Then a new baby came into the house and suddenly they were outdoors only.  A neighbor turned them in when the yellow lab got caught under a fence and torn his back open.  Holly said she’d never separate these two.

This pit bull was the funniest thing. He came running out to see me.. all excited and smiling.  She said that he had been in a home with one other pit bull.  The law evidently says you can’t have more than one. This guy had two.  They were going to put this dog down, even though he had never hurt anyone.  Holly said he was the sweetest thing ever.

The biggest problem they were having when we were there was the fact that they had no water.  They were trying to figure out if it was the pump on the well that went bad.  Holly was saying she was probably going to have to go and buy water at the store, but wasn’t looking forward to the cost involved.

I suggested they put the girls to work while they had them here and have them collect snow in these buckets.  There was a whole big yard of untouched snow they could let melt for water.  Holly was concerned about the snow and what was in it.

I have to admit that I chucked a bit on that one only because.. heck, the dogs eat their poop! Snow wouldn’t be that bad would it? But, it also shows the concern that they have for the well being of these dogs doesn’t it?

It was a good experience.  I dropped off the bag of food and got to learn about a new place. I know E is going to go back. I am thinking of the extra blankets I have that I can donate.  A 16 lb bag of food is like nothing compared to what all they need.

I got home to see my girls.. and realized how lucky they were.  Sadie had been a rescue dog. She was 11 weeks old when I got her. But her litter of 7 pups had Parvo and were going to be put down.  The vet at the Annhurst Animal clinic in Westerville wanted to save them. He treated them and only lost 1 of the 7.  Thank goodness because Sadie has been an awesome dog.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post by Del Monteto but the pictures and thoughts and opinions are my own.  Sadie and Gizzy’s opinions are pretty obvious too.

See The Joy You Can Spread!

I LOVE getting stuffed animals and my husband knows it.  But how many stuffed animals do I need?  I keep one on my dresser and then I end up putting the rest of them in a chest at the end of my bed.  I do donate them every few years, but I had six that were just sitting shut up in the chest, not doing anyone any good.

What about my memories?  I have them!  I took pictures of them when I got them and I have the feeling of love that I got when my husband gave them to me.  TIME TO PASS IT ON!!

I got in my chest today, because I knew I had at least two from Valentines day. What better time to give them away?

I actually had three of them.. and three from Easter.  We have a small nursing home right here in town.  I called them first thing this morning to ask if it would be alright if we stopped by this afternoon after school.  I told her we would have six stuffed animals and could she find six residents that do not normally get any visitors that we could give them to.  She was very helpful and told me to ask for her when we got there.

Do you think any of them would care that the foot says 2010 on it?  I don’t think so.

So I bagged them all up to get them ready to go.

I picked up the kids after school and we stopped by the nursing home.

The kids were all excited and each picked out the two they wanted to donate.

The residents had just finished their Valentines party. There were balloons and decorations on the walls.  I didn’t take many pictures inside because I wanted to protect their privacy.

The nurse took us around to six different residents that do not receive visitors.  The black dog went to a man who was almost blind. The big purple bunny went to a woman who started crying and kept saying, “It’s so beautiful!”

This woman said we could take her picture (I didn’t ask all of them). I just missed her little smile.  But she had a hold of that bear.

Do you think she cared that it said 2010 on it’s foot?

Then the last resident we gave a stuffed animal to was a hoot.  She wanted the kids to come over to her bed. She talked to them and asked them questions. Found out they were triplets.  I asked if I could take her picture and she loved it.  She wanted to know when I was printing them out.  I told her I normally don’t anymore but asked if she would like a copy. She said she would love it! So we will take her back a copy of it.

This was an awesome experience for my kids!  They were talking about it all the way home.   They were uncomfortable in the nursing home, I was too.. and that is ok.  We talked about it.  We talked about what it would feel like to never get a gift or have anyone visit you.

I think they realized all on their own… just seeing these faces and the smiles and how every one of the residents hugged those stuffed animals as soon as they got it!

So next time you go into your child’s room (or look in your own chest if you have some stuffed animals yourself) think if that stuffed animals would be doing more good where it is… or if it would be good to donate it to someone who could really use a pick me up!
I would love it if you could vote for my blog! You can vote up to once per day. Just click the button. Thank you!

I linked this Post Up To:

The Sears Hometown Stores are holding their 4th annual food drive. These food drives will benefit the local communities that store is located in. The one that is closest to me is the Mt. Vernon, Ohio store. The food collected will either go to the Mid Ohio Food Bank for Knox county or it will go to local food pantries in that area throughout the months of November and December.

The Mt Vernon Sears Hometown Store will receive donations of canned and boxed non-perishable food items November 8 through December 31.
To find a store nearest you go to Sears Hometown Stores. (There are about 950 of them)
In the past 3 years they have collected more than 250,000 non-perishable food items throughout these stores.

Here is a quote from the press release I received:
“We welcome the opportunity to host this event again,” said Marty Kozar, CMO/DVP for
Sears Hometown Stores. “We feel privileged to join in a local effort to lend a hand to those
experiencing hardship in our communities, and want to encourage our customers to open their
hearts and their cupboards to this initiative.”
You can donate non-perishable canned and boxed food, cleaning, diapers and paper products in the donation boxes at your local Sears Hometown store during business hours.
**Now here is the bonus – For being so generous and helping others, Sears is going to help you. You will get a discount off your bill. How great is that? Thanks Sears.

If you do not live near a Sears Hometown Store you can make your donations (cash or food) to your local food pantry.

Disclosure: Sears Hometown Stores have provided me with information for this article. They have not paid for this post nor given me any form of compensation for this post.

This is a picture of their web page I took with my camera.

Walmart is a massive company. They don’t have to do anything to help others….but guess what? They are. The Walmart Gives Back Holiday Campaign this holiday season is giving $32 million. There are several things they are doing….Check them out!
Here is a video that shows the big kick off.

Walmart (foundation) has provided 35 refrigerated trucks to bring food to 35 different food banks across America. That is a lot of food people! There will be Walmarts Great Value products along with fresh apples. This will provide families with food to prepare their Thanksgiving meal. Something that so many of us take for granted. Watch the video of some of the people this helps. There are so many people that depend on these food banks to feed their families. Most of them are just having tough times due to this economy. We all hope that we never have to use a food bank ourselves, but I’m sure all those who are now depending on them….used to feel the same way. Thank goodness there are companies as generous as Walmart Foundation to help.

They are also donating a $2.2 million grant to help fund 140 Meals on Wheels member programs across the nation that serve seniors. Wow! I have seen how these programs help many people. I was organizing a client and she had a husband who was disabled by a stroke. She was soooo thankful for the Meals on Wheels program. She worked full time and they came in once a day and provided her husband with a meal that he would have been unable to get himself while she was gone. That is just one family of millions that this program has helped.

Walmart is really impressing me. Not only are they doing all of the above, but they are working with the Military families and they are having the Salvation Army Bell Ringers back to their stores this holiday season.
Thanks Walmart!!

Disclosure: As part of the More Than Eleven Moms Group, Walmart provides me with news and company  information that you will see in this blog post.