I was one of the people who wiped out my property during the pandemic. When I was waiting in line at the goodwill in Burien, Washington, I wondered which of my donations would sell and which would be a dump, which would put a strain on nonprofits.
That’s what I wanted to know when I started working on this story. But goodwill doesn’t tell you. Donations are their lifeline and dislike creating hesitation and uncertainty that can reduce the amount of what they receive.
But here are some things I’ve learned, some common misconceptions about goodwill, and a cry to billionaire MacKenzie Scott.
Donation tips
— Don’t donate junk. You know what it is — a sofa with a cat peeing, a broken Ikea bed frame, bare socks, the contents of your junk drawer. Everything you donate must be reusable.
— Broken furniture is especially problematic as it costs a lot to send to landfills. Hazardous wastes such as solvents, pesticides and oil-based paints are also a big pain.
— One of the rules of thumb is to ask yourself if you want to pay. Otherwise, goodwill won’t sell.
— But it’s complicated. I read Adam Minter’s book “Used: A New Global Garage Sale Journey” (I highly recommend it) and learned about the creative people around the world who reuse the cast-offs of wealthy countries. For example, Pakistani entrepreneurs recycle and relabel Levi’s they wear and sell them to discount stores, including Canada.
— Conclusion: Believe in goodwill when they say they are better than almost anyone in finding the best market for unused ones.
Misunderstanding
— I thought Goodwill’s mission was to provide jobs in stores to people facing employment barriers, but that’s not the case. Evergreen Goodwill provides education and vocational training to about 10,000 people annually to help find jobs for about 1,500 people. However, only about 10% of students go to work in a non-profit organization.
— Goodwill does not fix broken things. When the charity was founded, it hired people to repair furniture and remake clothes, but for a long time it didn’t make sense economically.
Mackenzie Scott
The billionaire author (and former Jeff Bezos) surprised Goodwill Industries International last year with the largest donation of $ 20 million in charity history. She also gave 45 Goodwill affiliates a tremendous amount of money.
No one knows the standards used by her team, but many affiliates are in economically depressed areas. I didn’t get any evergreens in Scott’s backyard.
It must have been a shame, but the local staff can’t say so kindly. Evergreen CEO Darryl Campbell, Scott’s “neighborhood” Goodwill leader, wrote a letter on behalf of the entire network to thank “an extraordinary acknowledgment of Goodwill’s work.” ..
Organize your closet with these TikTok tips
1. Donate unused clothing using the hanger method.
If you’re nervous about getting a big Kondo out of your closet and you think you might regret removing something, try using the @whowhatwear hanger method instead. Every time I wear something from the closet, I rotate the hanger as I put it back. Do this for months to reveal clothing that will never be worn.
2. Use additional organizers and color adjustments to keep your closet tidy.
@Cassdimicco, a TikTok user, has maximized New York’s closet space by adding organizers for jewelry, handbags, sunglasses and belts, and adding poles to increase hanging space. Adjusting the colors of things makes it easy to find the perfect outfit.
3. Organize your drawers with a file folding method.
Folding your garment using the file folding or Kondo method will make everything less wrinkled and easier to see. TikTok user @tayhage tried this method with her cardigan and shirt. Before and after that, you may be prompted to fold it yourself.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Donations should and shouldn’t — break some more well-meaning myths | Lifestyle
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