Why does trying to do the right thing have to be so stinkin' complicated?
...
I've been wanting to simplify my life for some time. I tend to hold onto possessions that I'm not using out of some perverse sense of obligation or thriftiness or insanity or something.
But I'm working on this.
I've been going through my closet, and trying to be honest about which clothes actually get worn, and which ones don't. I seem to own an awful lot of clothes from some other person's life. This person does not do manual labor for a living, like I do. This other person's torso is also a lot shorter than mine. All of her shirts ride up and expose too much skin.
Because I can't seem to get to the Goodwill drop-off during business hours, I decided to leave my clothes at one of those green Gaia boxes that sprout up around the periphery of parking lots. You may know what I'm talking about -- they say that the clothes go to needy people in the developing world, or help the great barrier reef or something.
The first problem was that, once I made up my mind, and Robb put my bags of clothes into my car, I couldn't find the danged box. I know that I drive past one of these boxes, on my way to work. But where the heck is it?
I did a Google search to see if I could locate this elusive box, and discovered that the company that owns these boxes is suspected is some really shady business practices. There are accusations of money-laundering, and of being a cult, and of not giving any clothes to anybody at all, but of selling these clothes to their parent company and pocketing the profits. The parent company owns multi-million dollar estates and a $6 million dollar ocean-going yacht. Paid for, apparently by bilking fools like me into thinking that when an oganization says that they are using assets for a good cause, that they actually are.
Great.
Now what the heck do I do with these clothes?
I've been wanting to simplify my life for some time. I tend to hold onto possessions that I'm not using out of some perverse sense of obligation or thriftiness or insanity or something.
But I'm working on this.
I've been going through my closet, and trying to be honest about which clothes actually get worn, and which ones don't. I seem to own an awful lot of clothes from some other person's life. This person does not do manual labor for a living, like I do. This other person's torso is also a lot shorter than mine. All of her shirts ride up and expose too much skin.
Because I can't seem to get to the Goodwill drop-off during business hours, I decided to leave my clothes at one of those green Gaia boxes that sprout up around the periphery of parking lots. You may know what I'm talking about -- they say that the clothes go to needy people in the developing world, or help the great barrier reef or something.
The first problem was that, once I made up my mind, and Robb put my bags of clothes into my car, I couldn't find the danged box. I know that I drive past one of these boxes, on my way to work. But where the heck is it?
I did a Google search to see if I could locate this elusive box, and discovered that the company that owns these boxes is suspected is some really shady business practices. There are accusations of money-laundering, and of being a cult, and of not giving any clothes to anybody at all, but of selling these clothes to their parent company and pocketing the profits. The parent company owns multi-million dollar estates and a $6 million dollar ocean-going yacht. Paid for, apparently by bilking fools like me into thinking that when an oganization says that they are using assets for a good cause, that they actually are.
Great.
Now what the heck do I do with these clothes?
Comments
And I hate asking Robb to do any task that involves lifting or carrying.
When my schedule is crazy, I've left stuff on Goodwill's loading dock after hours (or before hours) and hoped for the best ;-)).
Oakland's thrift stores are not nearly as obliging as what y'all are describing.
www.satruck.com
If Robb can't call before my lunch break, I'll use that time to see who actually takes clothes.
The last time we had a major house clean-out, I was really surprised at how difficult the local thrift stores made things for would-be donors.
Also, Calling Our Daily Bread (battered womens shelter, nationwide) will do the same thing (they really really want kitchen-related stuff primarily, so it helps if you throw in an old pot or something with the clothes as well, in order for them to justify a drive out to your place to pick it up. Both these places like to schedule weekday pick ups, so its something Robb can be in charge of, if he is interested. I ended up donating nearly a thousand dollars worth of stuff in Wyoming of my sisters stuff that didnt sell at the yard sales or auction. Wyoming has no limit on donations, by the way.
I vaguely remember hearing about the scandal of the "drop off clothes boxes"- I think it had something to do with a group that was doing some highly illegal stuff, (human smuggling/drugs, I think) and using the clothes donation as a tax-evasive scam/chamoflaguing their business practices behavior.
Good luck with the donation, and MAKE SURE you get a receipt for everything for a tax write off. Gary and I ended up donating a bunch of old stuff that had been in our barn, and were able to get some good tax breaks. We donated a lot of stuff to Habitat for Humanity- I love those guys.
A local church will most probably take them and help out the local homeless, of which there are quite a few today, unfortunately. It's a good thing you are doing by donating clothes, if you have any perticularly interesting things, you may do very well trying to sell them at a vintage clothing store.
It's all good karma- so keep it up. Thanks. There are a lot of people out there today who need help.
By the way, for all your interested readers, when I used to work at a local kids camp, I used to wash then donate kids clothing and towels left behind. Kids clothes are GOLD at donation centers.
Annalisa
Value Village will do a pick-up. You just have to leave it on your porch on the prearranged day.
Fiddleheads
It definitely pays to check before making any donations. But yay for cleaning out the closet!
Also lots of stuff you can Freecycle that Goodwill won't take- half full containers of cleaning supplies, art supplies or paint, scrap lumber and old bricks etc.
You can email me off blog (though AQ) for tips & hints, as I used to be a moderator for the SF group.
Yes I did also read about those green boxes being a scam- they pay college students a pittance to collect, wash and sort- oh that is their "jobs for youth" program- then they just sell the stuff to rag brokers. I don't think they are legitimately listed as a charity with the State.
SuziLivvi
We do have pickups from ARC who train the handicapped..they come to a neighborhood with flyers then retrun a week later and pick up al lteh bags tha thave a flyer taped to them. They take clothes. They are not picky. But I don't know if they are in your neck o' woods and if they would do one, not a whole neighborhood.
Is there a food bank near you? You could put the clothes in a box marked "free clothes" wherever people pick up their free food. Like the 1960's Berkeley Diggers used to do!
Suzi
historic precedent..
1220 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612
510-834-6123
And here's a whole list of stations in the East Bay:
http://www.eastbaygoodwill.org/index.php/goodwill-stores/donation-site-list/
Good luck!