This week, I am up at my parent’s house in Michigan enjoying the beautiful scenery and fresh air. Here’s the thing, though- the weather has been pretty miserable. Crazy, isn’t it? We are at the end of May and it is still 50 degrees and rainy. Since my parents have been traveling all through the winter and spring, they haven’t been able to do a spring clean yet and this weather offers the perfect opportunity since we are stuck inside. I offered to give a hand since I have a sneaking suspicion that a good chunk of the stuff might be left over from when I was a kid (Although right after I got married, they drove a massive truckload of my high school stuff and dumped it in my garage. It was their way of saying welcome to the family, Bart!).
I have been shopping at Goodwill since I was in high school. Anyone remember that awesome royal blue and fire engine red polyester tracksuit I bought? Or how about the “Bowling is My #1 Sport” t-shirt that my sister tried to steal every time she came to visit? You can score some amazing deals, but have you ever stopped to think about how amazing your donations can be?
Last year, over 9.8 million people were able to access the career, family, and financial support services that they needed to succeed because of the donation/sales cycle Goodwill has in place. So that Kawasaki One Man Jam Keyboard or your Huffy Sweet Thunder Bike could help someone get a job. Pretty sweet, right?
My plan is, as we search my parent’s home for items that they no longer need, to teach my kids about the importance of donations. I want them to know where the items go when we are done with them, who could benefit from their donations, and what programs are available as a result of their donations.What I love about Goodwill? In 2013, 83% of the revenue generated from
the sale of donated items was used for growing programs that support
community members in need of work. If you want a visual way to spark the discussion with your kids, here is a cute video Goodwill put together to drive the point home:
You can also use the Donation Impact Calculator as a way to truly show them the impact of the exact goods they are donating:
Tonight we will be putting together a “Donation Haul” as opposed to a “Shopping Haul.” Both of my little ones will help us find items that would be useful to others- from clothes to electronics to kitchen gadgets to exercise equipment, we plan to work together to donate as much as possible to Goodwill this weekend. My old prom and homecoming dresses might even make it into the pile!
I will be sharing our compilation on social media using the hashtag #DonateStuffCreateJobs. Join me, and clean out your home to provide support to those who are in need.
Disclosure: I was provided with compensation for this post, but as always, all opinions are honest and my own.
