Charities That Will Pick Up Your Stuff

When I work with clients who want to shed their unwanted possessions, they are delighted at the idea of donating their stuff to charity.  They are less enthusiastic, however, at the idea of having to shlep their stuff to make that happen.

That’s why I’m always delighted to learn of charities that will come to your home to pick up your donatable items.  Here are two that I’ve recently learned about.

If you live in New York City

The Sharing Place (http://www.littlesistersfamily.org/thrift_store.php) is a thrift store that helps low-income families find quality clothes and household items at reasonable prices.  Located on East 115th Street in Manhattan, The Sharing Place is run by the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, which helps struggling families in East Harlem.

The Sharing Place is accepting donations of:

  • Clothing (dresses, suits, pants, sweaters, shoes)
  • Accessories (purses, gloves,  hats)
  • Household goods (dishes, silverware, small kitchen appliances, glassware, platters, vases, etc.)
  • Linens (towels, sheets, curtains)
  • Small pieces of furniture  – used but certainly usable

Your donations are tax-deductible, and they will provide you with a receipt.  You can see the donation guidelines here (http://www.littlesistersfamily.org/images/uploaded/sharing%20place%20donation%20info%20-%20revised%20August%202010.pdf).

To arrange for a pick-up of any of the above items, call 646-672-5210 or contact Bernardo Sanchez at bsanchez@lsafhs.org.

If you live in — or out — of New York City

Vietnam Veterans of America serves the needs of veterans of the Vietnam War era.  One source of funding is through soliciting and reselling donated household items.  VVA does not own retail outlets;  instead, they sell the donations through a bidding process to qualified retailers.

VVA accepts donations of clothing, small furniture, and household items,  as well as medical equipment such as wheelchairs.  They use an eco-friendly approach, and according to Deb Menich, the NYC Clothing and Household Goods Director, “everything is recycled down to the fiber and will never wind up in a landfill.”

The list of desired items includes:

  • Clothing and shoes of all types & sizes (adult, children, babies)
  • Clothing accessories, jewelry and cosmetics 
  • Baby items
  • Books, toys, bikes
  • Stereos, radios, portable TVs
  • Bedding, draperies, curtains, rugs and small furniture
  • Kitchenware,  small appliances, and tools
  • ALMOST ANYTHING!

VVA has drop-off locations but will also pick up. For a list of accepted donations and coverage areas, go to http://www.clothingdonations.org/service.htm.

No matter where you live

So now you’ve got no excuse for holding on to those things you no longer use!   Make up a few bags of those unwanted items and get them out there to help support these worthy programs.

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