Where To Donate Used Items Before Moving

“If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

If you have plenty of household items accumulated over the years, will you be willing to donate some of your possessions to help other less fortunate human beings? Maybe the idea of making gifts to strangers hadn’t crossed your mind before the plans of an imminent move invaded your well-organized life. Just the thought of having to sort out, pack and move all of your belongings gave you a splitting headache, didn’t it? Not to mention the moving costs and the exhausting efforts required to actually get heavy furniture and endless miscellaneous items out of your old home and transport, unload, unpack and arrange them in your new one.

The obvious common-sense solution is to only move the things that have really high financial or sentimental value for you and get rid of everything else. Broken appliances, worn out clothing and all other damaged items that clutter your living space for no reason should, of course, be disposed of immediately. Belongings in good condition that you no longer need, however, can be sold to provide some extra money for the furnishing of your future home.

In case none of these approaches work for you, or you simply prefer to begin your new life with an act of kindness, you can simply consider donating used items to charity.

Why Donate To Charity Before Moving?

Get rid of stuff you no longer desire

So, after you have classified all your possessions according to their value and all the damaged or totally useless junk is already in the garbage, go through the remaining items once again. Put aside everything that is still in good working condition and not very worn out but you haven’t used in over a year and/or don’t particularly like.

Then think about which items will not come in very handy in your new home – there will be no fallen leaves to rake in the garden and no lawn to mow if you are downsizing to an apartment, for example, and your wood-burning stove will be hardly needed if your new place has central heating. Your kids will not be able to enjoy sledging if you are moving south to a sun-lit state where the temperatures never drop below 50°F and your fur-lined boots, as well as the electric blankets, will be of little practical use there.

Another thing to take into account – you may not have enough space in your new residence for all the belongings you’d rather keep. Even if you still use a particular item on rare occasions or want to preserve some of your possessions just for sentimental reasons, if your new home is not large enough, you will have to pay extra money for storage. Now, decide if it is worth all the expenses and the troubles.

Also, remember that there is no point in moving an outdated item which you want to replace soon with a newer model. Be it a furniture piece or an electronic device, if you are planning to get a more fashionable or more convenient modern one at the earliest opportunity, you’d better not bother relocating the old item – it will be a waste of time and money.

If you wish, you can try and sell all of the above-described belongings and pocket some much needed money. If you have enough time, organizing a successful moving sale is your most profitable option, but selling used items online is also an easy and effective solution.

Find a new purpose for old items

If you didn’t manage to trade everything you are not willing to move to your new home or you just didn’t feel like selling personal possessions, there will be still plenty of remaining items that you have no idea what to do with. Someone else, however, may be able to put them to good use. A certain object you don’t care about may be a real treasure for a person in need. Instead of storing things until they become good for nothing, why not give them away to deprived people? You will surely be happy to know that any old possession of yours has a practical purpose instead of being rendered useless by time, right?

Save money and efforts

It is no secret that packing and moving your entire household is quite a tedious and time-consuming task. The more items you possess, the longer it will take to prepare them and the more expensive it will be to move them.

However, there is an easy way to avoid spending valuable time on packing belongings and planning every detail of your relocation. If you have a large home full of various heavy furniture and awkward appliances, tons of miscellaneous items and an incredible amount of precious memories to move, your best bet will be to hire a trustworthy moving company. The movers will leave you with very little to do or worry about because they know how to approach the process in an experienced and speedy manner that is sure to satisfy your perfectionism while giving you enough time to attend to other important issues.

Unfortunately, there is no relief in terms of money. If you are moving by yourself – you will have to provide enough packing materials and suitable means of transportation for all your possessions. If you rely on a reputable moving company, you will have to pay according to the total weight of the items to be moved and the distance these are to be transported. Take into account the additional moving costs for insurance and supplementary equipment and you will quickly come to the conclusion that donating whatever you can do without is a much better option.

Help others

Believe it or not, there is a lot of truth in the old saying “Give and you shall receive”. When you realize that your kid’s favorite baby rattle will make an orphaned infant laugh merrily, you may as well forget all thoughts of “selling for profit”. Even less dramatic circumstances should tip the balance in favor of donation, especially when it comes to food and clothes, or some other essential items that can literally make a difference for the person who receives them through charity. Your old computer may help a clever boy from a poor family advance in his studies or your old-fashioned earrings may bring a smile on the face of a penniless girl. The warmth in your heart and the satisfaction of having helped another human being are quite incomparable.

Furthermore, if you decide to make a donation, you inevitably become interested in the sphere where your chosen charity organization works. You learn of facts you never knew before and become acquainted with social issues you were not aware of. There is quite a chance that you get involved in a good cause and your social awareness level raises considerably.

What To Donate Before You Move

If you are still wondering whether to donate or sell your unneeded possessions, here is a factor to consider – sell profitable items and donate vital items. Expensive artwork or specialized sports equipment will not mean a lot to a needy person but will bring you plenty of cash if you manage to sell them. Vice versa – several cans of fish will not make much money but will feed a hungry person. So, when donating to charity before you move, look for:

• 

  appliances in working condition – especially outdated electronic devices no one would buy. Your old TV can still amuse a poor family, even if it is not a flat-screen LCD TV; and your old camera can still take good photos although it is not capable of recording HD videos;

• sturdy furniture – even if no longer fashionable, well preserved furniture pieces are sure to provide comfort in a poor dwelling;
• outdated clothes and shoes with small signs of wear and tear – these may not be trendy any more but are still practical;
• bedding – clean sheets and warm blankets are among the most necessary items whenever a disaster strikes or homeless people are involved;
• old toys and baby items – any toy, however simple, can bring joy and hours of amusement. Well, making a child happy is the ultimate good, right?
• books – these are too heavy to carry with you but there is no limit to the number of times a good book can be read over and over again and its wisdom conveyed to the readers;
• food – no one will move victuals that can be easily spoiled but any groceries you give will be immediately utilized for obvious reasons;
• kitchenware – you may find moving fragile dishes and used cutlery rather difficult and inconvenient, but kitchen items are very essential for any household, however destitute;
• accessories and tools – awkward tools are often dangerous to relocate but they may come in handy for many people and in many situations. As far as small accessories are concerned, they are not essential, of course, but if you don’t intend to use your old handbag any longer, someone who can’t afford the surplus expenses for a new one will be glad to have it.

However, to be sure that your donations really serve a good cause, research what the charity organizations need, as well as who they support.

Good Charities To Donate To Prior To Your Move

There are several national charities that have established a good reputation and will certainly serve your purpose adequately:

Goodwill

There are over 150 Goodwill locations across the states where you can leave your slightly used possessions. They accept almost any type of household items and use their funds to support employment programs to help people get successfully back on their feet.

Salvation Army

They provide various community programs and disaster relief, homeless services and rehabilitation, particularly aiming to help those who struggle with addictions. Any donations are welcome.

Move for Hunger

They organize the delivery of your surplus food to a local food bank using moving companies that are willing to provide the service for free. This charity has one specific purpose, so only victuals are accepted.

Furniture Bank Association of North America

The collected furniture pieces are provided to impoverished families or those who suffered from natural disasters and fires. Their offices are to be found all over the country.

Many other reputable charities such as Habitat for Humanity, GreenDrop, Loving Hugs, Direct Relief and countless others deserve mentioning, of course, so you should research the ones that correspond to your situation: they should be available in your area and need the type of items you are willing to donate.

Smaller local charities are another option to consider, for in this case your donations will make good in your own city. International charities, on the other hand, deliver goods to the places in the world where they are needed the most. So, the choices are plenty – think of which option will be convenient for you and will work for your cause.

Best Places To Donate Used Items Before Moving

If you are not yet sure where to donate used items, remember that not only specific charity organizations, but various other institutions can put them to good use. Research hospitals, schools, libraries, churches, animal shelters, homeless shelters, furniture banks, food banks, senior centers, day cares, prisons, and charity shops in your area. Each of these places will need different items and will serve different purposes.

Schools, libraries, daycare centers and various clubs

Any office supplies and working electronic equipment will be welcome in these educational or hobby centers. Old computers and good books will find their new home in a local school or library, especially if these are not well funded or equipped. Half-used packs of copy paper or boxes of crayons will come very handy in daycare centers or various arts clubs. Old-fashioned cameras, for example, can be used for photography classes, stereos will be welcome in small dance studios, etc.

Churches, homeless shelters, furniture banks and food banks

Any clothing and bedding, kitchen supplies and furniture you will not use after moving will relieve people in need if donated to these places. Similar community organizations distribute household items, clothes and food to indigent people to help them survive. Most support agencies try to provide an opportunity for improving living conditions and finding a suitable job, in hope of restoring the normal lifestyle of addicted, homeless or otherwise deprived folks.

Orphanages, senior centers and hospitals

While hospitals primarily need specific medical equipment, comfort objects like toys and blankets are usually accepted. Orphanages have a dire need of specialized baby items, clothes, books and above all – toys. Assist the proper development of abandoned children by donating appropriate items you will not use after relocating. You can also comfort seniors by providing them with some good books to keep their minds occupied, some interesting electronic devices to entertain them or some useful tools to help them practice their hobbies.

Also, have in mind that it is rather difficult to move your house plants but they will bring a lot of cheers in all of the above-mentioned institutions.

And if you have special items for your pet which are awkward to move, such as kennels or scratch posts, drop them in the local animal shelter. Don’t forget pet food you can’t take along.

How To Donate Quickly And Effortlessly

Overwhelmed by the moving preparations, you will certainly have no extra time to spare for visiting different and remote charity locations. Here is some good advice for you:

• Check charity websites. This is the most convenient approach to find all the useful information you need in no time. Probably you will also be able to fill out some forms online with all the relevant data required.
• Schedule a donation pick-up. Various organizations provide free pick-up for donated items. So, research your options, prepare the items you wish to give away and simply meet the representatives who come to your place to pick your furniture or whatever you packed. The entire process will take very little of your time.
• Visit the place. Of course, you can always find the exact location of a nearby donation center and take your household goods personally or directly deliver your donations to your chosen local institution.

When everything is over and you have already unpacked and settled in your new home, don’t forget to donate moving boxes – the ones you will not need any more. You will facilitate a forthcoming move of another person a bit and you will get packing materials out of your way.

Anyway, use the opportunity for a fresh start that your move provides and try to avoid harmful habits like cluttering your new living place. Purchase only things you need and do not store obsolete items or gifts you don’t like and have no use for. These can be donated to people who will actually utilize them.

Donations improve the lives of people affected by poverty, natural disasters and civil problems. You can contribute either to a cause you support or to a local institution where you will be able to witness the direct results of your noble action. Donating before moving can be just your first step in the world of charity. If you can afford it, to make gifts to needy people is quite a wonderful habit.

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