Who donates old clothes, dishes, etc

[orangecoloredapple]

to St Vincent De Paul, Salvation Army, or other places?

I know that many people greatly appreciate it. I try to give stuff any time I notice the closet or shed is getting a little crowded. Do you?

[cmd]

1. Yep

I hope that I am helping someone. I need to do some downsizing this week. Thanks for the reminder.

[orangecoloredapple]

4. You are definitely helping someone

and believe me, they are appreciative. I know people who have used these services, and later were able to donate regularly. It's a great thing.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. I donate quite a bit. Recently tried a garage sale. Too much work.

I'd rather save the time sitting and haggling over a 50 cent paper back and just donate it.

[blondeatlast]

6. My feelings exactly.

Besides, I'm known to treasure hunt myself in those stores!

[whathappened]

3. yes to donate

but no to st vincent , the others are good , use to have to spend time at st vince for part of my hours when i was getting well fair , this place was a joke , they had sheds full of cloths and had people sorting them and just keeping the keepers and throwing all esle in big dumpters , so the poor did'nt get them for any price , and also the good stuff was hauled away by the people who run the place for there own home , daughter burned out one time and got a card from human services to get a stove and refrig , and they would'nt let her have what they had , they said it was to good of set for her , it would have to be kept for resale , so take it from there , st vince is for st vince in our part of the world , now other stores i don't know about , but we give all our things to fish in our area and they pass them along to the needy for free or a small some

[silverweb]

5. All the time.

We love thrift store shopping and get all kinds of incredible bargains. AmVets and Goodwill are nearest to where we live, so we tend to donate to them and buy most from them for that reason.

I don't know how so much STUFF accumulates as fast as it does, but I seem to always have a new donation box filling up to drop off.

[orangecoloredapple]

9. That's the America I remember!

People helping people just to help people. Not for some "religious" return.

[Coolliberal]

7. Quite often

especially since we are moving...makes me feel a lot better than throwing it away.

[inthecorneroverhere]

8. yep, donated here

I'm a little neurotic about wearing out my clothes (comes from Depression-era parents), but I've donated already-read books and lots of knick-knacks and a few dishes. As my taxes are too low to 'itemize deductions,' I just let them have the stuff without a receipt.

I buy stuff at thrift stores, too! Lots cheaper than new.

One of our local used bookstores runs a prison book program. If people bring in old books that don't have a whole lot of resale value, they can leave them as donations for the prison. I think that's cool, too.

edit: spelling

[orangecoloredapple]

11. I find "finds" all the time!

My favorite recently was a working, tube powered, fifties record player with am radio. It still works. $12

[blondeatlast]

17. Prisons can really use old books.

The library I work for donates lots of reference titles to the prisons and it si very much appreciated. They LOVE to get nonfiction, especially reference type materials.

[Lady President]

31. Definitely!

My father worked for the Dept. of Corrections for years and there is always a huge need for books in prisons. If anyone is ever looking to get rid of old text books, definitely think about giving them to a prison~ any subject, including some that may seem a little childish because so many individuals learn to read during their prison stay.

Another needed item for women's shelters is linens. I like to check the ads for major sales on bed-in-a-bag sets because they can really pull together a room to make it look like home.

I also give all my old towels to a local animal shelter.

[blm]

10. For many years...

one of my favorite traditions.

[BigMcLargehuge]

12. Goodwill

Sometimes I shop there too.

Clothes, dishes, books, and shoes sure they aren't perfect but if they're still usable then I cannot possibly allow something someone else might need to end up in the landfill.

I try to give often and hope you do the same.

Though, the Goodwill near where I live looks like it's going to close, and one in the next town already did, so I may have to find another destination for useful stuff.

[orangecoloredapple]

13. Why are they closing?

consolidation of some sort?

[BigMcLargehuge]

15. I'm not sure

the sign on the newly opened (and newly closed) store mentioned bankruptcy, though I have no idea how their non-profit is organized so I don't know if they mean just that location or the whole organization.

[oneighty]

14. Clothing to a local Church

The Church sells the clothing ten to twenty five cents per item!

Used books to the library.

180

[SoCalDem]

16. I donate to Lighthouse for the Blind

because they do not resell. They give the stuff to needy people.. and they pick up :)

[Shanty Oilish]

18. Always

My parents came of age during the Depression and one of my grandmothers was downright dirt-floor-shack poor. They were well-off by the time I arrived but they raised me with their consciousness that wealth is ephemeral, and hunger and cold are the enemy. They gave like everybody was their brother or sister, and so do I.

[blondeatlast]

19. For you treasure hunters out there, have I got a site for you!

Pure thrift shoppers' heaven (or hell, depending)!

http://www.shopgoodwill.com

New stuff everyday, and they often have some really incredible stuff, like these:

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=629314

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=633257

I've spent WAY too much time (and money) here.

Have fun! :evilgrin:

[dolo amber]

29. GREAT!!!

Now I'll have to split my new DU obsession with this!! Are you TRYING to kill me??? ;):P

ps--I think my local Goodwill runs when they see me coming, I take in a monthly collection from where I work :)

[sandnsea]

32. I know your secret plan

You're just trying to get rid of me!

(I love that site!)

[blondeatlast]

36. Hee Hee! I would never have found it if it weren't for

www.whowouldbuythat.com

If you haven't seen that site . . .Oh well, just see for yourself. The first thing I saw on it made me nearly wet myself!

[sandnsea]

46. ROTFL

Oh lawdy, these people VOTE!!! YIKES!

Did you see the car completely covered in buttons? SEWING BUTTONS!!!

And the Please don't send us: "kangaroo scrotum purses". Oh dang, I missed that fad! ROTFL Where do these people come from????

[havocmom]

20. Please consider women's shelters for dontations too.

It is expensive to try and set up some sort of household if you had to flee a dangerous situation before starting all over again.

Household items, furniture can mean a lot to someone who gets out with only her life and the shirt on her back. A bed for you kid to sleep in can go a long way towards restoring faith in other people. An old portable radio may be passe` to you but be great solice to someone with only an empty room to call home.

Donations of decent clothing that someone could use for job interviews and getting started in a new job can be the differance between stuck in jobless limbo and getting a new lease on life.

Give it a thought. Call a shelter and ask. Couldn't hurt.

Thank you

[disgruntella]

21. good idea

I have also heard that women's shelters appreciate donations of toiletries, which most other donation-type places don't take. So if you've overbought, or don't like a brand, or are just plain generous - this is an option (call first of course).

[Ilsa]

25. Women's shelters can also use things like

those little soaps and shampoos from hotels. I try to take my own shampoo, so I can take the hotel stuff and give it to the shelters.

[orangecoloredapple]

22. That is a GREAT idea - thanks

The shelter in this town, believe it or not, has moved to another buiding, so they will no longer be sheltering homeless people. The new building is not anywhere big enough. That's what got me thinking about this topic. They will continue with helping with clothes, furniture and some food items.

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. This is where I donate most of my stuff to. It's called Turning Point.

That and children's hospital.

[havocmom]

27. To those who give, a big thank you

I have seen what it can mean to others and they would have trouble getting the words out past the lump in their throats. You can never know how very much it can mean to some folks to be given some tools to rebuild a life!

And for those with time and skills, consider volunteering for a mentoring program. If you do hair, a good cut goes a long way towards building someone's confidence! Job interviews go better when people feel they can really make a decent impression. If you work in HR, consider teaching good interview methods and resume writing. If you have a hobby that someone could turn into a job skill, share it!

Find out if you have some sort of volunteer center in your town. they are great to match your strengths with somebody's need. If there isn't one and you are a great organizer, start one!

The folks you help will go on and spread you gift in places you could never dream. And you will get more back than you could ever imagain!

Life is a pond. Drop a pebble and make ripples!

[Ilsa]

23. Paralyzed Veterans of America

A small load (large moving box) every other month, includes household items, clothing, etc. I list everything and estimate it's fair market value. It added up to about $600 last year because my kids were growing out of a lot of clothes.

Going to have a garage sale in amonth, but the proceeds will go to another nonprofit organization. I'm not looking forward to all that work.

[Ramsey]

24. Ten bags a year

At least, to our local church charity. Its a win-win. I get rid of stuff I don't need or want and it goes to someone who might be able to use it.

[Lady Freedom]

28. waste not want not.

Why through good stuff away when someone else could use them?

[mitchum]

30. I always drop off several things on my way in to do a little book-grubbing

[VOX]

33. Definitely. Am moving in a few weeks, so St. Vincent will get a call...

Glad that they're there, and that my old/unused stuff can be put to use.

[Kellanved]

34. I do

However I was shocked to learn, that the clothes are used for paper making; the profit of that is used as a donation.

[RebelOne]

35. I donate regularly to the American Kidney Foundation

mainly because my sister died in January from kidney cancer.

[supernova]

37. Keep the cycle going

I donate to thrift stores and I buy from them as well. If I didn't, I would be a classic saver. I mean I would save everything, which I simply don't have room for.

So donating helps others and helps me not turn into a hoarder. It feels good to periodically clean out. Afterall, it's just stuff.

[Loonman]

38. Just donated my junk car to Aids Action Committee

I always donate stuff I don't need.

[buddhamama]

39. i do

quite frequently, especially with a growing boy who out grows his clothes before they look like they've even been worn.

there's a local church that is absolutely fantastic.

if someone doesn't have money or there is an extra special need they give outright-free.

other than that they make their money by selling.
but the stuff is cheap. 25 cents for bag of clothes.

[jayfish]

40. Every Year To Goodwill.

Mostly clothes.

Jay

[Skittles]

41. YES

YES INDEED.

[liberalitch]

42. I always give to the local...

children's hospital thrift store (Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters)....
It's a teaching hospital and is connected with Jones Institute (stem cell research)

[annonymous]

43. I donate anything I can't use to charity.

I donate old clothes, childrens and a lot of other stuff to Amvets. I donate most of my books to my local library.

[Redleg]

44. Yes, just yesterday in fact.

If I wouldn't keep outgrowing my clothes I would probably donate fewer things.

[Eat_The_Rich]

45. We Give Stuff To

The DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and the Lewis House (Local womens shelter in the Mpls/Stp area).

[catzies]

47. Yes - I give to Goodwill and I shop there too.

This is our second thrift shop thread today!

[madrchsod]

48. we have a private

group in our town who has a "thrift shop" i buy and donate alot of stuff..some really good stuff and really cheap-yet they make alot of money for different groups in town. it was founded by a lady in her basement many years ago..the power of one person started it all.