Some of my favorite places to send donations (in the Dallas/Ft Worth area)
So you finally tackled that closet and are feeling pretty proud of yourself for deciding to let go of all those things that don’t “spark joy.” The only problem is, now you’ve got a large pile of random clutter sitting in your garage (or mudroom, hallway, trunk of your car, whatever) and no idea what to do with it.
Often, it can be quite a bummer to turn away from admiring your newly streamlined space only to see that pile of stuff you don’t want anymore. If you’re exhausted from the organizing project itself, you might find that you have no motivation to complete that last step, which is sending that stuff on to its new home.
You don’t want to just throw things in the trash, contributing to overflowing landfills, and plus, this is good stuff!
Sometimes that little voice in the back of your head will whisper, “It’s just easier to keep it in the back of the closet than figure out what to do with it. Besides, I might (?) need it someday.”
There are lots of places you may not know exist that are looking for your old stuff and would be overjoyed to receive it.
I myself find it so much easier to let go of things when I can envision where they are going, and especially if that place is really in need or something that really speaks to my heart.
I’ve put together a list of my favorite local places to donate organized by type of items they accept. If you’re looking for a new home for something in particular, hopefully this will make it easier for you to donate things you no longer need.
Party supplies, gift cards, new toys and gifts for kids
The Birthday Party Project – based in Addison, this organization throws birthday parties for homeless kids who are living in shelters. Watch their video and cry – then go clean out all your closets of unused party supplies.
www.Thebirthdaypartyproject.org
Special occasion dresses, shoes, jewelry, accessories
Prom Dreams – run by University Christian Church in Fort Worth.
They accept donations of gently worn fancy dresses, jewelry, shoes, and other accessories so that everyone has something special to wear to the prom. You can drop items off at the front desk any time.
Household items and clothing (they accept anything in good condition except pillows):
Berry Good Buys — benefits Safe Haven Women’s Shelter.
1701 West Berry Street, Ft Worth
Presbyterian Night Shelter
2400 Cypress St, Fort Worth
Women’s suits and work clothes, accessories:
Attitudes and Attires
World Trade Center, 2050 North Stemmons Freeway, Suite 181, Dallas
The Ladder Alliance
1100 Hemphill St, Unit 302, Ft Worth
Men’s suits and coats:
Cornerstone Assistance Network
3500 Noble Avenue, Ft Worth, 76111
www.canetwork.org
Hats, costume jewelry, vases, magazines:
Memory care or nursing home facilities
Children’s toys, art supplies, games:
Hope Center for Autism
2751 Green Oaks Rd, Fort Worth, TX
Sports equipment
Play It Forward is “a program that collects, rejuvenates, and donates sporting equipment to youth in need.”
www.proplayersfoundation.net for more info and collection sites
Stuffed animals:
Fire stations (police stations give them to children in stressful situations)
Safe Haven (Berry Good Buys) will also take them
Halloween costumes
www.weendream.org – gives them to children who can’t afford costumes
Canned goods and food:
Donate to your favorite church or soup kitchen
I’m sure I’ve left out some great places, so comment below or send me a message if there’s someplace you’d like to add!