Give Your Old Stuff New Life AND Help Others At The Same Time

There are so many wonderful organizations out there that can help you figure out what to do with your used items that will also help the less fortunate in the process. I'm providing a list of some very wonderful programs that hopefully help you donate some things that you would normally throw away. Help others, help the environment, what's not to love?

Furniture And Home Goods:

1. Contribute your used furniture to a local chapter of the National Furniture Bank Association. Your furniture will go to victims of earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, poverty and domestic violence. Go to http://www.nationalfurniturebank.org/ for more information.
2. Donate your blankets, towels, linens, stuffed animals and anything else that will keep a pet warm to a local animal shelter. They can also use leashes, pet bowls, cleaning supplies and flea collars, so when you're at yard sales, think of your shelter.

Electronics:

1. ~ Computers can be donated to The World Computer Exchange who will provide them to disadvantaged kids in over 65 different countries. For more information, visit http://www.worldcomputerexchange.com/ and find a new home for that outdated desktop computer.
~ Another organization for computers, printers and software is the National Cristina Foundation (http://www.cristina.org/) who supplies the items to charities that support at-risk children, people with disabilities and the underpriveleged.
2. Donate your old cell phones to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and they will be given to women who are victims of domestic violence or other emergencies. Find out how at http://www.ncadv.org/
3. Handheld electronic games are very much requested by our troops abroad. You can donate them at http://www.gamesforheroes.com/ and the group will send it to US soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
4. Your used video games can be sent to The Get-Well Gamers Foundation (http://www.getwellgamers.org/) and they'll be sent to a network of more than 40 children's hospitals and treatment facilities across the USA.

Clothing:

1. Visit http://www.donatemydress.org/ to find locations in your area where you can donate prom dresses and formal wear for underpriveleged young women.
2. Worn out fleece clothing can be given to Patagonia's Common Threads Garments Recycling Program (http://www.pantagonia.com/) and they'll be recycled into new clothing.
3. Used shoes can be given to Soles4Soles (http://www.soles4souls.org/) and the footwear will be provided to people in need around the world.

Sports Equipment:

1. Take a peek at http://www.iloveschools.com/ where teachers post wish lists for items they need that are beyond their school's budget. There are many requests for jump ropes, hula hoops, volleyballs, etc.
2. Almost any type of sports equipment can be donated to http://www.sportsgift.org/ where the group uses your donations to create community sports programs for underpriveleged children worldwide.
3. Drop off any brand of used athletic shoes to Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe campaign and the shoes will be recycled and turned into everything from basketball courts to new shoes and sports gear. Head on over to http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/ for more info.

Books and Media:

1. Donate gently used kids' books to http://www.projectnightnight.org/ and the book will be included in "Night Night" totes, along with a security blanket and stuffed animal and given to a homeless child.
2. Take your used magazines to local hospitals, womens' shelters or retirement homes so they can be enjoyed by others before being recyled.
3. Children's DVDs can be contributed to http://www.kidflicks.org/ who will provide them to children's hospitals and pediatric wards.

Miscellaneous:

1. Vehicle donations can be made to Big Brother/Big Sisters (http://www.bbbs.org/) who will sell it, with proceeds going toward their community programming. Others that will accept vehicle donations are Habitat For Humanity (http://www.habitat.org/) and the American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org/).
2. Non-prescription sunglasses can be donated to http://www.uniteforsight.org/ and they will be sent to people in Africa who don't have access to eye care.
3. Used musical instruments can be given to The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (http://www.mhopus.org/) where they'll be refurbished and given to underfunded school music programs.

*Thanks to The Ladies Home Journal Magazine for providing the majority of the information here.

No matter what, your used items can be donated to you local Salvation Army, Red Cross, homeless shelter or church programs. If you can't donate it, use http://www.freecycle.org/ to give the items away. No matter what you do, please do not add your items to our landfills when someone else on this earth can benefit from them. Thanks!