When you're in the mood to clean, where does it all go?

It's Spring and along with that comes Spring Cleaning! I've been in the process of cleaning things out on a consistent basis. I've rummaged through my books from college that I thought I would use again and listed them online to see. I've donated our 20 year old set Encyclopedia to the local library for their annual book sale. And there's the hamper full of clothes waiting to be donated to good will. 


I would assume, that just like me, there are things that we haven't used and we would like to get rid of. However, the idea of just throwing it out seems preposterous! Giving it a second life sounds more appealing, but where do we do that! Upon educating myself on being a conscious consumer I've come across a list from earth911.com on where you can donate your stuff. I hope this list helps and keep it book marked for future reference. Because all of our material things deserve a second life.

Furniture

• Operation Homefront: Choose military families to benefit from your donation.
• National Furniture Bank Association: Your local Furniture Bank chapter will take your old furniture and donate it to families in need, particularly previously homeless people who are trying to get back on their feet financially.
• Vietnam Veterans of America: VVA sells furniture and other donated items to fund their programs for veterans.
• Donation Town: Donation Town operates a database of local charities that pick up unwanted furniture for free, taking all the hassle out of your donation.
• In your neighborhood: Use your unwanted furniture to directly benefit your community by donating it to a local homeless or battered women’s shelter.

Books

• Operation Paperback: Donate your books to troops overseas.
• Books for Africa: As its name implies, this Minnesota-based nonprofit works to build libraries in Africa and uses your donated books to stock them.
• Reading Tree: This national nonprofit distributes donated books to underfunded libraries and schools – both in the U.S. and overseas – and has drop-off locations all over the country.
• In your neighborhood: Help a neighbor with your old books by donating them to a local school, public library, community center or prison.

Electronics

• Verizon HopeLine: Through its HopeLine program, Verizon collects unwanted cell phones and distributes them to domestic violence victims so they can call for help in case of emergency.
• Computers with Causes: Computers with Causes accepts donated electronics and finds them new homes in underfunded schools.
• Recycling for Charities: Recycling for Charities offers a Web-based take-back program that accepts and recycles all forms of electronics and gives a value donation to your charity of choice.
• In your neighborhood: Make a difference with your old gadgets by donating them to a local school, after-school program or community center.

Clothes and shoes

• American Red Cross: Clothing you donate to the Red Cross benefits natural disaster victims around the world, from the Gulf Coast to Japan.
• Soles4Souls: Nashville-based Soles4Souls collects all types of shoes in any age range, from children’s to adult sizes, and distributes them to people in need in more than 127 countries.
• Career Gear and Dress for Success: Both groups provide your used business attire and toiletries to unemployed, low-income men and women for job interviews. Dress for Success accepts women’s clothing, while Career Gear serves men.
• In your neighborhood: Keep someone warm right in your own community by donating your used clothing to a local homeless shelter, church, community outreach program or thrift store.

Appliances

• St. Vincent de Paul: A worldwide Catholic charity that provides aid, disaster relief and programs for low-income and homeless people.
• American Council for the Blind: The ACB is the leading U.S. provider of services for the visually impaired, and they have thrift stores in almost every major city in the nation. Call (800) 866-3242 to schedule a pick-up.
• In your neighborhood: Many community outreach centers will accept your working but unwanted appliances to distribute to low-income families in your neighborhood.

Everything else

• Goodwill: Goodwill helps unemployed and under-employed people find full-time work. Additionally, the organization sells donations at affordable prices to help low-income families furnish their homes, all proceeds benefiting Goodwill charities.
• Salvation Army: Salvation Army uses donations to stock their homeless shelters and also sells them in their resale stores at low prices to benefit communities in need. They will also pick up your donations for you.
• Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity accepts everything except clothing and also provides pick-up services.
• In your neighborhood: Use Earth911′s recycling database to find local recycling and donation solutions for your spring cleaning leftovers, whether they’re usable or broken.