Make an Impact on National Give Something Away Day

National Give Something Away Day — celebrated each year on July 15 — was created as a reminder for people to give back. How you choose to give can take multiple forms, but selfless acts are their own reward.

Many people have much more than what’s necessary to survive, but know that there are people in need nearby. National Give Something Away Day encourages us to take stock of the #things and comforts around us and share them with others.

What you give and to whom is entirely up to you. You might give a friend an old #tchotchke they’ve long admired or a bouquet of flowers. You might buy the person behind you in line a coffee or a sandwich. No gift is too small.

You can also choose #donate the gift of time to a local charity or organization by #volunteering. Perhaps there’s a food pantry or outreach organization that could use your help and specialized knowledge.

One fantastic way to celebrate National Give Something Away Day is to #clean out your #closets and other #storage areas to weed out the #stuff you no longer need. If whatever you find is in wearable or working condition, chances are that somebody else can use it.

Start with a single #closet or room. Sort through all of the #clothing, #books, #decorations and other #household items to see what has a place, setting aside anything that doesn’t fit or only creates #clutter. You’ll probably see the piles build up fast!

Put that #junk into #bags and #boxes and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a #free #donation #pickup. Not only will you be giving something away and reclaiming #space, you’ll be #helping to fund programs that benefit the nation’s #veterans.

You can observe National Give Something Away Day on any day of the year, of course. But its reminder to give is one that yields benefits for everyone involved. #NationalGiveSomethingAwayDay

More Ways to Help Veterans Ahead of the Holidays

If you didn’t get the chance to celebrate Veterans Day before the weekend, now is a great time to visit a nearby veterans cemetery to put flowers, a wreath or a miniature flag on a grave — or help volunteer to tend to some of the graves before winter sets in. You can also adopt a veteran family for the holidays or make a donation to the Vietnam Veterans of America and ClothingDonations.org to help veterans in need during the holidays. They will appreciate your thoughts any time of year.

Use the Longest Days to Declutter and Donate

Use the longest days of the year to volunteer for a cause that’s close to your heart, GoodNet suggests. “Volunteering brings with it a deep appreciation of all that you have in life, and helping those in need is a firm reminder of what really matters,” the blog says. One easy way to help veterans in need is to use a few of those extra daylight hours to weed out your unused clothing, small appliances and other household junk and make a donation to ClothingDonations.org. We’ll pick up your donation and resell your castoff goods to fund valuable veterans’ programs.