10 Places to Donate Your Stuff

It’s almost springtime. The days feel longer, the temperatures are milder, and if you’re anything like me the urge to clean and declutter is stronger than ever. The cleaning, sorting, and purging part is easy for me, however I struggle with what to do with all the items accumulated during my spring cleaning frenzy. It’s not uncommon these bags and boxes end up piled in our “office”, which is really just a fancy word for the catch-all room.

I’m determined not to let too big a pile up occur this spring, and in an effort to motivate me further, I did some research to find local options for donation items. Here are 10 different places you can donate your unused items.

Friends, Family, Neighbors

Friends, family, even neighbors are the first people I turn to with items I no longer need. It’s easy and quick to snap a picture and send a text offering up a good. We’ve also been the recipient of neighborly donations; last year our neighbor gave us a toy box in excellent condition. Score!

Charitable Organizations

Charitable organizations that operate retail stores such as Goodwill or Salvation Army are a great place to donate your unused goods. These organizations accept donations of clothing, household goods, books, electronics, music, movies, toys, home decor, and linens. It’s really easy to drop your stuff off, and in some cases, they will come to you to pick up larger items such as furniture.

Churches

A number of churches run their own thrift stores or hold annual garage sales, and accept clothing and household item donations.

Donation Bins

There are an increasing amount of donation bins popping up in the area. Kiducation bins accept clothing, shoes, and books.

The Humane Society

There are several humane society locations within Vermont. Each has its own set of wishlist items such as towels, blankets, toys, and cleaning products. Check with your local humane society to see which types of donations they currently need.

Schools and Libraries

Check with your child’s classroom, the local school, or library to see if they have any needs or a wish list. Oftentimes classrooms can use extra arts and crafts supplies, games, puzzles, and office supplies.

The ReStore

The Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity ReStore store accepts gently used or new furniture, building materials, cabinets, household goods, and appliances.

ReSOURCE

ReSOURCE (formerly Recycle North) operates four household goods and building material stores in Vermont. They accept donations of furniture, building materials, large and small appliances, small household goods, electronics, and recreational items. Both the ReStore and ReSOURCE will pick up certain items from you directly. See their websites for more information.

HopeLine

Donate your unused cell phones, batteries, and accessories to HopeLine who ensures that phones will be reused or recycled. You can print a postage-paid label online or drop your phone off at a local Verizon Wireless store.

I realized after creating this list I have no excuse to let my donations pile up! Are you like me, do you tend to let your donations hang around a little too long? Which other organizations do you know of that accept donations?