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Where to Donate Clothes Before You Move — 8 Places to Consider
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You can’t always bring everything with you when moving to a new place. However, throwing excess clothes in the trash isn’t always a good idea. Doing so would mean contributing to the 11 million tons of textile waste in landfills each year. Donating to charity is an environment-friendly way to declutter your closet while helping those in need.
Ahead, we have compiled a list of 8 charities to consider when donating clothes before a move. Remember that while these charities accept clothing, they also accept other items. Some give the clothes directly to people who need them while others resell them to raise funds for important causes.
Where to donate clothes
1. Goodwill
With over 4000 locations scattered around the country and a simple drop-off system, Goodwill is one of the most popular places to make donations. The non-profit’s mission is about enhancing the quality of life for veterans, people with disabilities, and seniors through education, work, and skills. It also offers childcare, transportation, and language training to individuals enrolled in programming.
When you drop off clothes at one of their locations, Goodwill sells them in one of their retail stores or auctions them off online. Goodwill forwards anything that can’t be sold to recycling organizations to ensure that they don’t end up in a landfill.
How to donate: You can drop off donations at the local Goodwill store or donation center, which you can find here.
Accepted donations: Goodwill accepts new and gently used clothing, accessories, and shoes. You can also donate other household items like used furniture, appliances, toys, DVDs, and books. Some locations offer pickup services for the larger items and will work with you to schedule a time.
2. Salvation Army
Another popular option for donating clothes during a move is Salvation Army. The faith-based charity works to serve the needs of communities around the world. It is an all-encompassing charity that involves hundreds of charitable causes worldwide, ranging from after-school programs and job training to food panties.
Proceeds from their thrift stores, known as Salvation Army Family Stores, fund the organization’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers. The centers help those struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse get a second chance at life. The organization’s thrift stores sell new and gently used merchandise.
Accepted donations: Salvation Army accepts new and gently-used clothing, shoes, and accessories. You can also donate furniture, automobiles, appliances, and household appliances.
How to donate: There are two ways to donate to Salvation Army. You can either drop off the donation at a location near you or schedule a pickup.
3. Vietnam Veterans of America
The Vietnam Veterans of Americans is a non-profit organization that aims to promote and support issues that are important to Vietnam veterans. It also works to change the public perception of Vietnam veterans while helping create a new identity for this generation of veterans.
The non-profit sells donations to private companies via an annual bid. The proceeds generate most of the funding that goes towards supporting the organization’s local, state, and national programs.
Accepted donations: The Vietnam Veterans of Americans accept clothes in good condition. It also accepts charitable contributions of electronics, small appliances, books, baby items, and household goods.
How to donate: You can schedule a pickup via the ClothingDonations.org service, and the donation will be picked up at the doorstep. Be sure to label your donation boxes. VVA also runs a service called Pick Up Please that picks up donations within as little as 24 hours. You can schedule a pickup with service here.
4. St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul is a worldwide non-profit organization founded in 1833. Like Salvation Army, it is an all-encompassing charity that seeks to help those in need. It runs thrift stores and the proceeds provide essential services to those in need through homeless shelters, winter warming shelters, food rooms, affordable housing units, veteran programs, and more. Anything that cannot be sold is recycled, and the organization provides a tax receipt once you donate.
Accepted donations: St. Vincent de Paul accepts clothing in good condition as well as shoes, belts, jewelry, and handbags.
How to donate: If you want to be part of St. Vincent de Paul’s initiative, find a thrift store near you and donate your clothes.
5. Project G.L.A.M.
If you are wondering what to do about that old bridesmaid dress, prom dress, or other formal wear, look no further than Project G.L.A.M. Founded in 2007, Project G.L.A.M. works alongside W.G.I.R.L.S. Inc. to serve underprivileged communities in New York City. It also gives teenage girls access to prom dresses, jewelry, accessories, and makeup to ensure a good prom experience.
As one of the largest organizations of its type in the country, it has helped more than 14000 young women. It also awards scholarships to deserving teenage girls and young women. G.L.A.M. stands for Granting Lasting Memories, which is what you can do by donating your prom dress.
Accepted donations: Project G.L.A.M. accepts prom dresses not more than ten years old and accompanying accessories and makeup.
How to donate: All donations must be mailed to:
WGIRLS INC C/O Project G.L.A.M.
33 Largo Lane
Clark, NJ 07066
You can learn more about Project G.L.A.M. here.
6. Room to Grow
Babies and children are constantly growing and often seem to outgrow their clothing overnight. This means parents constantly have clothes they don’t need or can’t use. It also means that parents who can’t afford to make frequent purchases always suffer because any clothes they buy don’t last long. This is where Room to Grow comes in.
It is a three-year preventative program that aims to support parents and caregivers during their children’s critical early years. It provides family support in three ways – personalized parent coaching, free baby and toddler items, and access to community resources. The organization has chapters in New York and Boston.
Accepted donations: Baby and toddler clothes, toys, books, bedding, equipment for children, and feeding and hygiene supplies.
How to donate: There are three ways to donate to Room to Grow. You can schedule a contactless drop-off in New York and Boston. If you are in NYC, you can arrange a messenger service pick up or request a cost estimate by calling 212.620.7800. You can also mail your packages to:
Boston:
Room to Grow, Attn: Site Operations
63 Sprague Street, Bay 6
Hyde Park, MA 02136
New York:
Room to Grow, Attn: Site Operations
424 East 147th Street, Floor 5
Bronx, NY 10455
7. Soles4Souls
Sole4Souls is a regional non-profit based in Tennessee and founded in 2006. It believes in the power of shoes and clothing.
The organization helps individuals in developing countries launch and sustain their own small businesses by selling donated clothes and shoes. It also supports homeless kids throughout the 50 states in the continental United States.
Accepted donations: Sole4Souls accepts all styles and sizes of new or gently-used shoes and clothes.
How to donate: You can make donations at a nearby drop-off location or ship them for free with Zappos for Good, which provides a prepaid shipping label to mail the package with U.P.S. Ensure you include the donor form in each box of donations.
8. The Arc
The Arc is one of the country’s leading advocates for people with disabilities. Donations are sold through the organization’s Arc Thrift Stores. Proceeds go towards ensuring that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their loved ones have the opportunity to decide how they want to live, work, learn, and play. By donating to The Arc, you:
- Help people with disabilities access opportunities to live and work independently.
- Support education and training for people with disabilities and their families.
- Help kids and their caretakers maximize the benefits of special education assistance.
Accepted donations: The Arc accepts most items, including new or gently used clothing, shoes, household items, toys, computers, electronics, and furniture.
How to donate: You can donate by dropping off your items at one of the many Arc Thrift Store locations or scheduling a pickup (for large furniture only).
A few tips for donating clothes
Regardless of how you ended up with 37 dresses or 83 tops, donating is a great way to lighten your load while benefitting someone who needs it. But before throwing things into boxes, go through these tips and ensure you’re donating clothing items of value to the right charity.
- Create three piles: Separating your clothes into three categories – what you need to keep, what you want to donate, and what needs to go into the trash.
- Donate wearable clothes: While some charity organizations will take anything that’s available, it’s best to donate stuff that’s clean, hole-free, and gently used. People getting the donations will appreciate them more if the clothes aren’t overused.
- Ensure donations match the needs: It’s always a good idea to check with the charity and confirm what they take. Not every organization takes shoes or certain types of clothing. Project G.L.A.M. is a good example as they only accept formal wear, particularly prom dresses, and don’t accept shoes.
Donate
Donating to the above charities is not just a service to your closets but also to the environment and communities that need help. So grab your donation boxes and get started today. Lightening the load before a move is a great way to simplify the process. We promise you won’t regret it!
Moving soon? Get organized with our free moving checklist.
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