Archive for the ‘donate/charities/thriftshops’ Category

Declutter and help traumatized children feel a little safer at the same time.

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

Anyone who reads a daily newspaper or watches the evening news knows that everyday all around the world people are caught in traumatic, emotional and transitional situations. It’s awful for anyone involved, but when innocent children are affected, it’s particularly heartwrenching.

Thanks to an organization called Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (SAFE), you can help traumatized children feel a little more safe in a too often unsafe world. SAFE is a 14-year-old non-profit run completely by volunteers. It has 41 chapters throughout the United States, Canada and Central America and is currently looking to expand worldwide. SAFE collects new and gently used stuff animals, toys, books and baby blankets and gets them to children during emergency situations such as fires, illness, accidents, neglect, abuse, homelessness and even weather emergencies such as tornadoes, floods and hurricanes. They also donate the items they receive to other children’s organizations, military organizations, libraries and even nursing homes.

If you’ve got items like the ones described above and don’t know what to do with them, SAFE is a great way to declutter, reduce, reuse and recycle them. Your donation can make a real difference for a child when they need it most.  Please visit Stuffed Animals For Emergencies for all the details.

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A unique, clutter-free gift to give anyone who loves NYC.

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

The Panorama of the City of New York

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Queens Museum of Art (QMA) located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. If you aren’t familiar with QMA, then you probably don’t know that the jewel in the crown of their collection is an incredible, 9,335 square foot architectural model – The Panorama of the City of New York – that includes every single building constructed before 1992 in all five boroughs of NYC. That’s a jaw-dropping total of 895,000 individual structures. I urge you to visit QMA and see the Panorama for yourself. It’s simply amazing!

The brain child of Robert Moses, The Panorama was built for the 1964 World’s Fair, in part as a celebration of the City’s municipal infrastructure. It took a team of 100 people working for the great architectural model makers Raymond Lester Associates three years to complete and was one of the most successful attractions at the ‘64 Fair. In planning the model, Lester Associates referred to aerial photographs, insurance maps and a range of other City material. The initial contract for The Panorama demanded less than a one percent margin of error between reality and the model so The Panorama had to be accurate!

After the Fair, The Panorama remained open to the public, its originally planned use as an urban planning tool seemingly forgotten. Until 1970, all of the changes in the City were accurately recreated in the model by Lester’s team. After 1970, very few changes were made until 1992, when Lester Associates changed 60,000+ structures to bring The Panorama up-to-date. An improvement of the lighting system was made in 2006, the first change to the model since 1992.

QMA has launched a program giving you the opportunity to “purchase” NYC real estate on The Panorama of the City of New York for as little as $50. Now you can adopt a building or landmark and/or give an incredibly unique and completely clutter-free gift to anyone you know who loves New York City.  Want to adopt the dog run in Tompkins Square Park? Your daughter’s school? Your local library or fire station? The rooftop where  you met your husband during the blackout? Katz’s deli? The Brooklyn Bridge? Central Park? The building where your father had his dry cleaning business for thirty years? No problem! Click here for more information about how you can adopt a building or favorite landmark and provide support for the ongoing care and maintenance of this beloved treasure.

Detail view of Washington Square Park and the surrounding neighborhood

Detail view of the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges spanning the East River

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The 22nd annual New York Cares Coat Drive

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

90% of homeless adults need a new, warm coat each winter because they have no place to keep one over the summer months. But it’s not just homeless people. Thousands of New Yorkers each year are forced to make a choice between buying a winter coat and putting food on the table or meeting other basic survival needs. No one should have to make that kind of choice.

Each December, New York Cares collects 70,000 gently used, freshly laundered coats and distributes them to men, women and children who would otherwise go cold. You can help by donating a coat between December 1st and 31st, setting up a collection site or volunteering to sort coats so they get into the hands of New Yorkers in need as soon as possible. For more information, please visit New York Cares.

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Make space in your closets & help change the world one pair of jeans at a time.

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Denim – known round the world as a symbol of American fashion – is actually a French import. The word comes from the name of a sturdy fabric called “serge”, originally made in Nîmes, France. Originally called “serge de Nîmes”, the name was soon shortened to denim. The contemporary use of the word “jeans” comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Gênes), where the first denim trousers were made.

Denim was introduced to this country by Levi Strauss in the 1850s in the form of work pants designed for the mining industry and we’ve have had a longstanding love affair with denim ever since. Comfort, fashion and durability are all words that come to mind when we think of denim, but INSULATION? Not so much.

Since 2006, Cotton Inc. has taken 270,000 pieces of denim and using a multi-stage process recycled them into UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation for 540 Habit for Humanity houses. (FYI – it takes approximately 500 pair of jeans to insulate one average-size American house.) Cotton Inc.’s efforts have kept 200 tons of denim out of landfills and provided an essential building material at the same time. Now that’s how to recycle and reuse!

Denim insulation costs about ten percent more than standard fiberglass insulation, but it’s safer to install (non-itch, no carcinogens, formaldehyde or chemical irritants), better for the environment, more energy-efficient and acoustically it provides 30% better sound absorption than traditional fiberglass insulation. In addition, it’s one of the only insulating products that contains an active mold/mildew inhibitor.

It’s spring, so why not do a little spring cleaning, make some space in your closets and help the environment at the same time. Donate your no longer worn or loved denim jeans, skirts or jackets and join the the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® call-to-action to give old denim new life.

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Beanie Babies for Baghdad

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Started in 2003 by then MAJ Jim Barker, Beanies for Baghdad – a civilian organization based in Evansville, Indiana now in its 7th year – acts as a bridge between U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, the children of Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan and people who want to help make the world a better place.

Barker, of Whitewood, South Dakota, was one of thousands of Soldiers in Baghdad when Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003. During that tour, Barker frequently interacted with the local population and noticed that he never saw any children with toys of their own.

“On one occasion, I threw a beanie baby named ‘Courage’ that my sister sent me into my bag. That day, we were at an elementary school. I saw a little girl about 4-years old named Sarah, and I called her over,” he recalled.

Barker gave “Courage” to Sarah and her reaction to the gift told him that he wanted to do more. From that simple act of kindness grew a nationwide effort back home to send Beanie Babies and other toys, clothing, toiletries and school supplies to American troops in Iraq so they could distribute them in Baghdad and other communities. Two generous individuals volunteered to publish a web site at their own expense and, on May 4, 2003, Beanies for Baghdad was born.

According to the Beanies for Baghdad website, “Children in general like the same things everywhere. Many of these children have nothing so anything is a big deal to them.” They would appreciate donations of the following:

•    Beanie Babies
•    Stuffed animals
•    School supplies
•    Frisbees
•    Balls
•    Sporting equipment in general
•    Small cars (i.e. Hot Wheels or Matchbox)

Items should be gently used and in good or new condition. No religious materials, please. Pack your contributions in a sturdy box, contact the charity at info@beaniesforbaghdad.com and tell them you have a donation to make. They will send you the addresses of two servicemen in need of beanies, etc. Choose an address, make a label and mail your package. Donors are responsible for shipping costs to the military postal service; military postal service is less expensive than overseas shipping costs. Both the shipping costs and value of the items donated are tax deductible.

Rather than having unused and unneeded items sitting in a drawer or closet somewhere just taking up space, please consider sending them to Beanies for Baghdad and helping U.S. troops and the young children of war torn countries who have suffered so much and have so little happiness in their life.

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Recycle your old greeting cards.

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Personally, I’m a big fan of sending environmentally friendly e-cards, but lots of people prefer to give and receive paper greeting cards. If you’re one of them and would like a way to recycle yours, then consider donating them to the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program St. Jude’s Ranch serves “abused, abandoned and neglected children and families, creating new chances, new choices and new hope in a safe, homelike environment.”

The children living at St. Jude’s help adult volunteers make beautiful, new, “green”, holiday and all-occasion greeting cards cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of “going green”. Proceeds from the sale of all cards benefit St. Jude’s.

Send your used holiday, Valentine’s Day, Birthday, Thank You cards now through February 28, 2010 to:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

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Charitable gift giving

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

money/billfold

Choosing the right gift for loved ones, friends and associates can often be a tricky business so some gift givers choose to make a charitable donation in the recipient’s name instead of opting for a more traditional gift.

Focusing on the recipient’s interests, passions, lifestyle and what would be meaningful to them is the key to a successful giving experience. Consider children, as well as adults, when you’re thinking about charitable gift giving. Giving children a small amount of cash and letting them choose which cause they want to support is a wonderful way to encourage them to become philanthropic adults.

Here are just a few of the many organizations that are worthy of consideration:

  • UNICEF – Works for children’s rights, their survival, development and protection by providing them with vaccinations, food, education and much more.
  • Kiva – Allows you to make a loan to a low-income entrepreneur across the globe for as little as $25 and help them to start their own business.
  • Heifer International – Gives hungry, poor families livestock and training, providing a source of food rather than short-term relief. Recipient families are required to share their animals’ offspring with others, creating an expanding network of hope, dignity and self-reliance.
  • National Park Foundation – Helps educate Americans about the their National Parks.
  • National Foster Parent Association – Helps foster parents and children through advocacy, services and scholarships.
  • Trickle Up – Offers grants, not loans, to women and people with disabilities in Africa, Latin America and Asia living on less than $1 to help them launch their own microenterprises, while providing business training and savings support to build assets.
  • Smile Train – Provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgery to children in need, as well as providing cleft-related training to doctors.
  • Reading is Fundamental – Books, literacy campaigns, and reading to children.
  • Habitat for Humanity – Builds houses for needy families.
  • Big Brother Big Sister – Provides mentors to all children who need caring adult role models/special friends.
  • Sierra Club – Promotes conservation efforts aimed at protecting communities, wild places and the planet itself.
  • Doctors Without Borders – Doctors and nurses volunteer to provide urgent medical care to victims of war and disaster regardless of race, religion, or politics.
  • ORBIS International – Focuses on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries.
  • National Center for Tobacco-free Kids – Helps reduce the number of children who will start smoking.
  • Rainforest Alliance – Dedicated to the conservation of the planet’s vital tropical forests.
  • Children for Children – Promotes community involvement and social responsibility in children from all backgrounds, beginning at a young age.
  • What I Did Not Buy – An online community where people choose “not to buy” and can see the impact of that re-directed money on poor people in developing nations.

I would recommend that you use Charity Navigator to help you to evaluate charities before you donate to them. If you’re not sure which charity would be most meaningful to your recipients, let them choose for themselves by giving them a gift card like the ones offered by Just Give, Global Giving and Charity Navigator.

Giving to charities is a clutter-free, feel-good, do-good way to honor the person in whose name the gift is made, and, really, how many people do you know who need more “stuff?

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The 21st annual New York Cares Coat Drive

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

NYCCD09banner

Did you know that 90% of homeless adults need a new, warm coat each winter because they have no place to keep one during the warmer months of the year? In addition, thousands of other New Yorkers are forced to choose between buying a winter coat and putting food on the table or meeting other basic survival needs. No one should have to make that kind of choice.

New York Cares helps those less fortunate by collecting nearly 70,000 gently used winter coats each December and distributing them to thousands of men, women and children who would otherwise be cold. Please donate a coat or make a financial donation to this very worthy charity. Your support provides them with the resources to collect and distribute coats now and supports volunteer programs that will continue to impact the city all year long.

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When Autumn leaves start to fall…

Friday, October 9th, 2009

“The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold”

“Since you went away, the days grow long
And soon I’ll hear ol’ winter’s song.
But I miss you most of all my darling,
When autumn leaves start to fall.”

– Autumn Leaves

Did you know that Autumn Leaves was originally a French song until Johnny Mercer wrote some English lyrics for it, the likes of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole recorded it and the rest, as they say, is history? Leave it to the French.

Autumn in New York City does indeed mean that leaves are beginning to turn color, starting to fall and the temperature is fluctuating up and down. On the days when it still gets into the 70′s, I’m in my glory. Then comes a day in the 40′s or 50′s and I get a serious reality check/wake-up call that autumn is here, summer has come to an end and it’s time to get organized for the long, inevitable winter months ahead. Don’t get left out in the cold; prepare for winter now while the mood is right and the days are still relatively long. On Sunday, November 2, daylight-saving time will end and the shorter days that are one of the hallmarks of winter will be upon us.

SAY GOODBYE FOR NOW
Before you pack away yours/your family’s summer wardrobes, look it/them over and identify items that didn’t get worn and are no longer wanted. Add them to – or start – a giveaway/donation pile. If anything is stained, remove the stains now – it’s usually more difficult to get them out later on – and stow them away until next year.

RE-ACQUAINT YOURSELF WITH OLD FRIENDS
Get re-acquainted with your favorite winter clothes and cast a critical eye at all the rest. Are they worthy of the drawer/closet space they take up or are you ready to let ‘em go and make room for some new, cold weather favorites? If your coats didn’t get cleaned at the end of last winter, freshen them up now. Before you wash or dry clean them, be sure to make any necessary repairs, like sewing on buttons, fixing zippers, replacing torn linings or pockets. If you’ve got kids, now is the time to make sure that their coats still fit. Pass down anything they’ve outgrown to their younger sibling(s) or bag ‘em up for give away/donation and take advantage of the Columbus Day sales all over town this weekend to get anyone in need new outer wear. Also, make sure that everyone has hats, gloves and scarves and they’re in good condition. If not take advantage of this weekend’s sales to fill in any gaps. Discard anything that is too far past its prime to be of use any longer and freshen up everything by washing or dry cleaning.

Instead of scrambling to get organized when that first cold snap hits or that first morning you wake up and discover the snow cover outside, be prepared and go out and have fun instead!

* A quick word about what is acceptable to donate to thrift or charity shops. Please be kind and do not donate soiled or damaged items. Most charities don’t have the resources to clean or fix them and it will cost them money to dispose of those items.

If – like a lot of New Yorkers – you’ve got more “stuff” than you have space to hold it all, here are some companies that might be able to help you solve that problem:

 

WARDROBE STORAGE FACILITY WITH VALET SERVICE -
Based in New York City, Garde Robe is a full-service wardrobe storage facility providing first-class storage, cyber-inventory, secure online closets and an array of services for New Yorkers, travelers and fashion industry professionals. Garde Robe will pick up your off-season or infrequently worn items, arrange for professional cleaning, photograph, catalogue and store the items in their climate-controlled, air-purified loft. Your Cyber Closet is accessible day or night and, with a few mouse clicks, you can arrange to have Garde Robe deliver desired items at your convenience.

 

GENERAL STORAGE FACILITY WITH VALET SERVICE -
The process is simple, quick and entirely managed through their website or you can call in your requests on their toll free line. After you place an order, they will deliver your empty containers, locks and welcome kit which includes an inventory form and other helpful information. You pack your boxes, or have a Box Butler professional assist you pack for a modest fee. The completed inventory can be entered online onto their web based system for easy access or stored in hard copy at your home. Then order a pick up and they will retrieve your locked containers. All or specific containers can be returned in the future at your request. This service was designed with 100% convenience in mind.

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Sometimes you just have to trash it.

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

As a Professional Organizer, clients naturally turn to me to help them figure out what to do with all the stuff they’re ready to part with. One suggestion I make is to try to sell or give items away on craigslist or Freecycle. It’s often a fast, cost-free method to move things out of their home, but sometimes – even when it’s free! – there are no buyers or takers. What then?

The next step is to determine whether or not the items are suitable for donation. If not, I explain to clients that if they’ve made a good faith effort to find a new home for their clutter, but nobody seems to want it, it’s perfectly alright to toss it. If they seem to be leaning towards keeping an item(s) they were ready to let go of, I explain to them how doing that thwarts their goal of de-cluttering their space. Because most of my clients are in the greater NYC area – which usually means they live in apartment buildings – I have a great option to offer which often does the trick. I recommend that we neatly put items in the basement trash/recycling area of their building and hope that someone else will think they’re treasures and take them. I know from personal experience in my own and my friends’ apartment buildings how often that’s exactly what happens. One man’s trash really is another man’s treasure, at least in NYC! Of course, before leaving items, we always check to make sure that it’s alright with the super or porter of the building. If no one takes the items,  eventually the super or porter will toss them. Psychologically, it makes it easier for some clients to let go if they don’t actually have to do the tossing.

If a client insists on giving a charity clothing items that are not in good shape (we truly have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to charity and thrift shops in NYC), I ask them to think twice about that decision. Goodwill, for example, receives a billion pounds of clothing every year. Yes, I said billion with a “B”! Unfortunately, because well-meaning donors often aren’t discriminating enough about the condition of the clothing they donate, charities end up being able to use less than half of what they get and have to pay to dispose of the rest. Here’s a good rule of thumb to go by if you’re thinking about donating clothing: if you wouldn’t give it to a family member or a friend, it’s probably not good enough for a charity either. By being thoughtful and sensitive to a charity’s needs and not using them as a dumping ground or simply to get a tax deduction, you avoid creating a manpower and financial burden for them and perform a truly charitable act.

The bottom line is that sometimes you just have to trash items and that’s OK.

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