Tag: donate

No Fooling: April Is the Best Month to Declutter

Posted on by Jordank

Pranksters throughout the world like to kick off April with a deception that makes a “fool” out of gullible believers. From schoolchildren slapping paper fish on their friends’ backs to news reports that the Eiffel Tower is being dismantled, pranks big and small have tricked and amused many a person over the years.

But all fooling aside, April just might be the best month of the year to #declutter and #organize.

April is a month of rebirth. Flowers start to bloom and the weather gets more pleasant. And yet, it’s still too early in the year to be chockablock with social occasions, deadlines and all of the other things that tend to crowd a schedule. It’s the perfect time to spend a few hours or days sorting through your #stuff.

A great place to start is in your #clothes closets. You’ll be swapping out heavy coats and sweaters for breezier garments soon, if you haven’t already; why not make April the month you take a complete inventory of your #clothing? #Store whatever you want to keep, and #donate anything that just isn’t being worn to ClothingDonations.org.

#Spring #cleaning will unearth even more #household items that you no longer want or need, and April gives you the chance to throw open the windows and make a fresh start. As you #declutter, #clean and #organize, decide if you want to stage a #garage or #yard sale at some point in the near future, says Simplify 101; early-season sales tend to be a big draw.

#Clutter itself can make #fools of otherwise rational people. “#Clutter is a master of deception, tricking us into believing that it enhances productivity, comfort and creativity when it does the opposite,” says Miss Organized. “By unveiling the illusion of clutter and taking proactive steps to #declutter our lives, we can cultivate a sense of clarity, purpose and serenity.”

Don’t be the butt of your own joke or waste another minute of your April. Start #decluttering, #cleaning and #organizing now, and you’ll get the last laugh.

Spring Cleaning Has Lasting Impacts

Posted on by Jordank

If you’ve ever participated in the ritual known as #spring #cleaning, you know the effect that a #cleaner, #tidier and more #organized space can have. But while the concept has long been tied to the warmer temperatures and sense of renewal that spring brings, it can have benefits that last throughout the year.

Psychologists explain the penchant for seasonal cleaning as a “fresh start” effect. Fresh starts are often related to a temporal landmark that motivates people to make a change, set a new goal or initiate a new project. The new year and birthdays are classic examples, and many people start their diets or on Mondays. The change of seasons is a similar marker.

“People are not automatically, by default, thinking of spring as a time to start new habits,” says Wharton Professor Katherine Milkman. “It’s going to depend on the person and what resonates with them, but spring is a more natural fresh start for people than winter — spring is the season of rebirth and Easter, and everything is green.”

Spring cleaning is literally a fresh start in terms of #dirt and #grime. These build up when a home is closed against winter’s inclement weather, and a good spring cleaning can get rid of the dust and dirt that household surfaces such as shelves, floors and linens have collected during the dark and dreary winter months.

But spring cleaning is also a fresh start for the psyche. Clean spaces reduce stress and anxiety, boost productivity, help prevent respiratory issues and improve sleep, according to St. Joseph Hospital. The act of #cleaning and #decluttering itself burns calories, making it a healthy part of your routine.

A #decluttered life is a calm and effective one. “We can calm the inside by bringing order to the outer,” Zen Organizer Regina Leeds told CNN. “The average person lives in an environment that sabotages his or her best efforts at every turn. You can accomplish more, quicker and with ease if your environment nurtures and supports you.”

Get a fresh start this season. Start with a single room, sorting everything you don’t #trash immediately into #keep and #donate piles. Clean the space, #organize and store the keepers, and contact ClothingDonations.org for a free #donation #pickup. We’ll get that extra stuff out of your way fast — and you’ll be on the way to living your best life.

Are You a Decluttering Lion or Lamb?

Posted on by Jordank

With its rapid temperature fluctuations and blustery winds, it’s often said that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This begs the #spring-cleaning question: When it comes to #decluttering, which one are you?

#Decluttering lions roar into a room and make snap decisions. They’re prepared to sort things into #keep, #trash and #donate piles fast, and have labeled bins, boxes and bags at the ready. They’re fed up with #clutter and perhaps preparing for a deadline or an imminent life change.

“Aggressive decluttering isn’t gentle editing; it’s decisive, time-boxed and real about what your home can hold,” says The Scarlet Society. “You’ll move fast, make smart calls and stop saving for a ‘someday’ that never comes.”

Aggressive #declutterers often follow if/then rules: The 20/20 rule, for instance, says that if you can replace an item in less than 20 minutes for less than $20, then get rid of it. If you can replace a rarely used memorabilia item with its memory (a photo), it’s time to say goodbye.

You might take as little as 48 hours as a decluttering lion, spending a few hours on each specific area of the home and paring things down to the essential, often-used #stuff. Then, you can bundle the rejects for #sale or #donation and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup.

If you’re more of a lamb when it comes to #decluttering, you will aim for slow and steady progress instead of a frantic purge. You might target one drawer instead of a whole room, taking just 30 minutes to #sort things out. The next day, you can move on to #organize another spot.

Gentle #declutterers often get overwhelmed by the task. To prevent decision fatigue, Simple Clean Living suggests keeping a “Not Sure” box close to catch things that may have true practical or sentimental value. “You can revisit it days, weeks or months from now, when your nervous system is more settled.”

You can let go of #clutter without the rush if you do it in manageable moments. The key is to make it a regular, ongoing practice to ensure progress. With time and regular effort, lambs can create calmer #spaces for themselves.

Lion or lamb, ClothingDonations.org is here to accept your #donations of lightly used clothing, media and household items. Let us take care of the things that no longer serve your lifestyle or fit your space!

Embrace Simplicity During Lent and Ramadan

Posted on by Jordank

The season of repentance arrives for approximately 3 billion people this week. Christians and Muslims throughout the world will begin observing the traditions of Lent and Ramadan Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 by engaging in fasting, prayer and abstinence.

If you’ve ever wondered why the observances are so similar, it’s because the two religions trace their origins to the mystical experiences and religious quests of Abraham. Lent commemorates the 40 days the Hebrews spent in the desert; the month-long Ramadan recalls the moment God revealed the Koran to the prophet Mohammed and follows the broader theological principle of advancing toward holiness on a pilgrimage.

Whatever religion you practice, the season invites everyone to embrace #simplicity. Even if you aren’t observant of a major religion, the monthlong or 40-day timeline can support you in your efforts to be more sensible, healthy, penitent and/or #organized.

Lenten sacrifice calls for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. You may be familiar with the season’s abstinence from eating meat (particularly on Fridays) or individual choices such as abstinence from temptations such as chocolate, alcohol, television or gossip. Almsgiving includes #charity in many forms, including #donations of money, services and goods.

Similarly, Ramadan suggests that Muslims strengthen their connections with Allah by practicing selflessness. “Through acts of charity, Muslims express gratitude for their blessings and demonstrate compassion towards others, embodying the values of empathy and kindness,” says Al-Ayn Social Care Foundation.

For Christians, Muslims and anyone else who feels beset by #clutter, we offer a simple strategy to add to the calendar: #Clean out a #closet, drawer or other #household space and #donate any #extra #stuff to  ClothingDonations.org. You can feel good that the simple act of almsgiving will go toward programs that help #veterans in need.

Whatever else you choose to do during the season of Lent and Ramadan, make a #donation! Whether or not it is part of your religious observance, it will help you embrace a more ascetic and sustainable existence.

African Americans and the Vietnam War

Posted on by Jordank

It’s Black History Month — a great time to remember that African Americans have served honorably in the U.S. military for as long as there has been a U.S. military. But service often meant fighting for one’s country even while being denied equal rights at home.

More than 300,000 Black Americans fought in the #Vietnam War, making up an outsized share of those drafted (16.3%) compared to representation in the general U.S. population (11%). Black soldiers were more often assigned to combat duty in Vietnam and less likely to be elevated to command roles.

Fighting shoulder-to-shoulder in desegregated units for the first time in Vietnam often helped build camaraderie among the troops, regardless of racial and ethnic differences. But most Black #veterans recall discrimination during and after their service.

Upon being drafted or enlisting, “Black soldiers were immediately faced with discrimination and racism during basic training, which typically took place in the Jim Crow South,” an article in Time magazine says. “The racism was there: It was real and felt between soldiers.”

After the war, Black veterans suffered disproportionately high rates of PTSD and were twice as likely as white veterans to lack full-time employment. Veterans Affairs often routinely denied Black veterans’ claims for disability benefits even through the 1970s.

Institutional and interpersonal barriers have since eroded with no small amount of struggle. Military service is now regarded as a viable career option among African Americans; today, they make up one-quarter of enlisted Army soldiers while making up 13% of the population.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) and its local chapters support all veterans of all U.S. conflicts by helping with benefits claims and connecting them with health care and mental health care services, housing and job assistance, and much more. And it does this with your help!

You can easily support the nation’s #veterans by clearing out some of your #clutter and scheduling a #free #donation #pickup with ClothingDonations.org. Your lightly used clothing and household goods will be resold to #support programs that #veterans rely on nationwide.

Celebrate Black History Month with a #donation! You’ll #support veterans and eliminate some of the #stuff you don’t need at the same time. #BlackHistoryMonth