Do THIS instead of donating to Salvation Army or Goodwill

Decluttering
Written By Rebekah Christie

*last updated July 2nd, 2024

I posted a similar list on my Instagram and someone asked, why not Salvation Army? I wanted to share my response for anyone who is reading this blog post and has the same question.

Why not Salvation Army:

Great question

There are two type of people, person one just wants to take their stuff off their hands, and person two wants to ensure their stuff is treated with basic care in the process of getting to someone who actually needs it.

Donating to large companies like the Salvation Army doesn’t guarantee that for person two. A lot of these donation drop-off centers are gross. A large percentage of donations are being sold overseas where executives are profiting from free stuff. A lot of unethical and questionable business practices leave us not fully trusting companies like the Salvation Army. Or simply not agreeing with the way they handle donations, a lot of people don’t feel good about adding a trash bag of their stuff to an already overflowing bin, where clothes are typically on the floor, wet, dirty, and rummaged through. I service city dwellers and it’s a big issue in New York.

So people are taking this process into their own hands. It can be time-consuming, is definitely tedious, and has a high payoff when person two can donate their stuff with integrity.

As a pro organizer, most of my clients fall into the person two categories, so naturally, I’ve spent some time gathering this information (and also doing this for my own home). So now I’m sharing my findings with you all.

This is my master list of ways and places to get rid of those household items that you don’t want to donate to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill. When you want to ethically and responsibly recycle your stuff and you don’t know what to do with it. I love me the convenience of both, however, it comes at the cost of not being confident my donated item won’t end up in a landfill.

Have you seen some of those donation bins?

Either way. this is a living document so it is updated.

Before you bring anything anywhere, please please call and confirm that they are accepting what you have. There’s nothing worse than overwhelming lower-staffed and smaller organizations with things they don’t need or want. This takes more time, but in the long run, it feels better to donate/recycle intentionally.

And if you have ADHD and looking to get a hold of your clutter, I wrote this just for you. I break down 3 of these alternatives so you can declutter your home with a purpose.

 

Clothes

  • H&M

  • Donate jeans to Madewell

  • Check local church Cooperative Ministries (Co-Op)

  • Group home

  • Local Shelter

  • Buy Nothing Group (join your neighborhood specific BN Group on Facebook)

  • Dress for Success

  • Local veterans organization

  • Special occasion dresses to local high schools (Jan-May)

  • Sell them to Plato’s Closet

  • Sell them on ThredUp

  • Purchase For Days Take Back Bag

  • Give-back Box

 

Winter gear

  • Project Hospitality

 

Books

 

Baby (and things)

  • Women’s shelter

  • Birth & pregnancy centers

  • Church

 

Arts & Craft

  • Nursing homes

  • YMCA, community centers

  • Day cares

  • Patterns, fabric (Material for the Arts)

 

Linens (Sheets, Bath Towels)

 

Metals

  • Pots/pans to scrap yard

 

Electronics

 

Batteries

 

Luggage

  • Foster care

 

Medication and Prescriptions

CVS Medication Disposal

 
 

Looking to make your home comfortable and simple again?

Join Abode, a virtual organizing program for Black women whose homes are too cluttered to do the things they love with the people they love.

 
 

Hey you, I’m Rebekah

I'm a home therapist or professional organizer lol. And I’m a proud member of your home goals support system.

 I create home-organizing tools for women who want to break generational curses. I help them declutter with intention so they can create a safe home. I’m on a personal mission to help Black women and families (me and mines included) have more structure, order, and peace in our homes. Welcome to the revolution.

 
 

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Rebekah Christie
Rebekah Christie began creating accessories in 2009 when she was living in Philadelphia. She was having trouble getting use to Philly being her permanent residence so she stayed home for months. She then began designing headbands and hair accessories. She was discovering her inner designer which was the beginning of "Make it Happen". She grew up in a very creative household where her parents promoted and delved in the arts themselves. With the support and help from them she began a line of headbands, bangles, hair bows, and feather earrings. She sold her pieces at street festivals and markets in Philadelphia. In 2010 she moved back to New York, settling into Brooklyn for the next three years. Since she began her journey as a jewelry designer, she has built a following throughout New York City. Charmed Feathers has been sold at shops in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and D.C. CF has also been sold in France and Canada. "The guidelines I follows are adapted from my family and into my designs. Myfather is a man that does not fear color, and Charmed Feathers accessories are always colorful and vibrant. My mother is a woman who taught me to be myself and to not follow the crowd. I like to believe that being true to yourself is as natural as you can get". -Rebekah Christie In 2012 she attended the Art Institute of New York majoring in Fashion Merchandise and Marketing. She's currently attending Borough Manhattan Community College majoring in Business Management. She continues to be a self taught designer and educate herself on entrepreneurship
http://www.rebekahlove.com
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