The summer months for our family means oodles of birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and so many extracurricular activities that we have to pay for during these warmer months. It can often feel like we are completely tapped out by the end of the summer. Regardless of our situation though, I am always looking for ways that we can continue to support charities and organizations that need our help, even when we don’t have the financial means to always support everything we can.
I started referring to this giving in my house as my, “scraps of life giving.” There are so many things that I have within my possession and that I can do with the limited talents and budget that I possess that the possibilities for good old-fashioned giving are endless.
Goodwill is a great example of a “scraps of life giving” project that you could be doing with your family and I just love sharing easy ways that you can make donations with items you already have in your home. Today I wanted to showcase 3 surprising things you may not know about those donations you are giving and how they can impact others.
What a Clothing Donation Means- Of course, it comes as no surprise that you can donate clothes to Goodwill, but what might surprise you is how much of an impact that clothing donation could be to others.
It is shocking to know that a single pair of donated jeans can provide someone in your community with about 10 minutes of resume preparation services. If just one pair of jeans can provide that, think what a good old-fashioned closet cleaning would do for others.
Goodwill has started a movement called The Donate Movement and they are encouraging everyone to participate in it. Visit The Donate Movement page and you can use their calculator to discover what your impact will have on your community and the amount of hours your simple donation will provide to educate and train employees at Goodwill. Head on over to their page today and see what a difference a simple day of decluttering could do for someone in your community.
What an Electronic Donation Means- With two gadget-geeks living in our house, we have accumulated a lot of electronic clutter in our home. I am ashamed at the electronic clutter we have gathered, but it is nice to know that my electronic clutter could have a purpose as a Goodwill donation.
Just a couple of months ago, I shared with you how to spring clean the electronic clutter from your life. This post showcases what happens to your electronics and what you could be donating.
Goodwill has a partnership with Dell to process electronic waste in a technology recycling program that can greatly benefit our community and reduce the waste in landfills. The program is called Reconnect and it offers you an easy, convenient and responsible way to recycle your used computer equipment. You can drop off any brand of used equipment - working or not - at Goodwill's Drive-Thru Donation Centers at their retail stores.
Look around your home and see what electronic waste you can clear from your life today. Not only will you help the environment by not dumping your item in a landfill, but you also will be supporting Goodwill’s mission to provide jobs for others.
What a Car Don
ation Means- When I was young, I thought anyone who could donate a car had to be a millionaire to be able to do that. Just this summer though, our family had a car that we had paid off and we were able to give to my brother who needed a set of wheels to get him back and forth to work. Our humble Ford Focus was a Mercedes compared to what he had been driving, and he told me he felt like he got an upgrade and new lease on his life.You may have a car of humble means that you could offer as a donation to Goodwill that could give a new lease on life to someone else. Even if your car is not drivable, it could make economic sense for Goodwill to take the donation to their auction site . There is no need to detail your car before donating it, just clear it of the clutter and contact Goodwill to let them know that you have a car that you would like to donate.
The vast majority of these vehicles are sold at dealer auctions and those donations help Goodwill’s mission to provide jobs, training and placement services for people with barriers to employment.
The honest truth is, you don’t need to be a millionaire to be a giver.
If there is anything I have learned, it is that those scraps of life giving can often have the most impact to others.
(Photo credits- Please click on the photos to access the photographer's Flickr pages. The last photo is my own)
Amy Allen Clark is the Founder of MomAdvice.com, a web community where she shares advice on parenting, money-saving ideas, recipes, and solutions for work-at-home moms. Visit her site for more ideas on ways to live on a frugal budget!