Vote to Clean House – And Help Veterans

Greetings, readers! The Organizing Blog is back from its six-month pandemic hiatus — and just in time for a presidential election that’s sure to be contentious. Today, get out and exercise your right to vote if you haven’t already.

You may be in the mood to “clean house” with your vote, given the disruptions COVID-19 has brought to everyday life. Are you better off than you were four years ago? Hard to say — but life pre-COVID was almost certainly less stressful.

House is also where you’ve probably been spending a lot of time since March — and you and your family members may be confined there again if the current spikes in coronavirus infections don’t abate before winter.

After you’ve voted, binge-watched your Netflix shows and baked a loaf of sourdough, you may look around your home and find that spending lots of time there has led to added dirt and clutter. And that means it may be a good time to literally clean house.

Maybe you bought a lot of extra stuff online that you later found out you didn’t need in lockdown. Maybe working from home or switching the children to remote learning has created new, voluminous piles of papers. Or maybe the boredom and added wear have you wanting to overhaul the space altogether.

Whatever the reason you want to clean house, remember the nation’s veterans as you declutter, organize and sanitize your space. Donate the stuff you no longer want or need to ClothingDonations.org; we’re again scheduling pickups in many areas.

Veterans are vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis. Most Vietnam vets, for example, are now over 65, and many have preexisting conditions that could make a coronavirus infection life-threatening. And they, too, feel isolated and uncertain in their homes.

The stuff you donate gets resold at secondhand stores to fund programs that provide veterans with health care, housing and other resources. Box it up as you clean house and  then arrange for a #donation pickup online at ClothingDonations.org or by calling 888-518-VETS.

You’ll not only be able to enjoy a cleaner, clutter-free home, but also help veterans feel more secure in theirs.

Shop the Thrift for an Ecofriendly Valentine’s Day

Still stuck for a Valentine’s Day gift? Try the local thrift or secondhand store! Supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org, many thrift stores are full of gently used clothing, accessories, books and gifts that people will love at a fraction of the price of what they might cost new; they are also a great place to find cookware if you’re preparing a special feast. It’s an ecofriendly choice to reduce and and recycle gifts, and proceeds from the sale of donated goods help support veterans’ initiatives nationwide!

Thank a Veteran for the Three-Day Weekend

Lots of people get Veterans Day off, making 2019’s observance into a three-day weekend. You can use some of that extra time to visit a retired veteran in a retirement home, or write a letter to a current service member. You can volunteer to help a veteran neighbor with their fall yardwork (as this blogger plans to do), or weed out some of your old, unused clothing and household items and donate them to ClothingDonations.org, simultaneously helping fund veterans programs around the country while streamlining your space. However you choose to observe the holiday, the nation’s veterans appreciate your support!

Thrift Your Way to a Festive Fall

One of the best things to do as fall begins is get ahead on upcoming events on the cheap. Thrift stores stocked with donations from ClothingDonations.org can be a valuable resource for many fall events. Need a vintage dress for homecoming? Thrift it. Building a scarecrow for your fall festival? There is no place better than the thrift to find colorful, inexpensive clothing that can be stuffed with straw. Need a creative Halloween costume, or some ideas for one? Go directly to the thrift! Your purchases will fund valuable programs that help thousands of the nation’s veterans and their families.

Thrift-Store Halloween Costume Ideas

Stuck deciding on a Halloween costume? Lots of classic looks are easy to source at thrift stores supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org. Thrifty, easy-to-assemble ideas for women from Ecouterre include “Sockhop Sweetie” (pleated skirt, pink sweater), “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (chic black sheath dress, oversized sunglasses), “Hamburglar” (black-and-white striped shirt, black mask, fast-food burger), and “Valley Girl” (plaid blazer, oversized phone). Just walk into the thrift and let the inspiration strike; not only will you soon have a one-of-a-kind costume, you’ll be helping the nation’s veterans with your purchases.