Hot Mess. That is the words that often come to mind when I think of significant chunks of quarantine. I hope I’m not the only one. There was a lot of stress of job security, wearing of matching sweat suits, tie dying clothes, DIY home projects, excessive Netflix watching, and eating food that did no good for anyone. Then we all realized wait a minute- I can get things done with this new found time!
If you are still looking for things to do during quarantine and over the holidays besides watching Netflix and Hulu, here you go! If you already know what you are doing and you are on that declutter my home train…
you’re in the right place!
There is no better time than the present to declutter your home. It’s so rewarding to lighten up your home and only keep items you need and love basically only things that ADD value to your home not SUBTRACT value. If you’re like me I’m feeling all good and empowered about all I have accomplished until I look at my multiple piles of things to donate.
I often used to think of a thrift store first to donate my things. I’m talking about the big go-tos like Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers, to name a few. The reality is many of these bigger nonprofit thrift stores are overwhelmed with donations, especially in a post-Marie Kondo world.
According to the Washington Post, Goodwills in the D.C. area said donations were up 66 percent over last year in the first week of 2019, and one location saw a 372 percent increase. The ugly truth is that some donations get sent to the trash. According to Morrell from Goodwill “They have huge garbage bills every month, into the millions”.
Before donating outside, I do encourage you to see first if any family and friends can benefit from your items. I can’t tell you how many dozens of clothes I got from cousins that typically would have gone to a thrift store. With that being said, I wanted to provide some alternative drop off locations for your donations.
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Homeless Shelters
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Sororities and Fraternities
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Public Schools
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Smaller (Local) Nonprofits
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Churches, temples, and other religious institutions
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Smaller (Local) thrift stores
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Foster care homes
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Victim/Abuse organizations
Many of us like to start the new year letting go of things that no longer serve a purpose. Time off during the holiday season could be the best time for you to make your home lighter. However, I do want you to remind yourself- not everything is meant to go thrift stores and other donation centers. Please check the website of the organization before donating to see what the organization accepts and does not take for donations. Every donation you make can really go a long way, I just encourage you all to spread the love. You can still go to Goodwill(s) and Salvation Army(s) just start to include these alternative locations as well!
Where is your favorite place to donate items?
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