Friday Favorite: Get Rid of Clutter & Help Someone in Need

Guest Blog post by Brittany Graunke, the founder of Zealous Good, an in-kind donation marketplace in Chicago. You can connect with Brittany and Zealous Good on  Facebook and Twitter.

We all have clutter that we’d like to get rid of, but we can’t just throw out perfectly good items. Who needs them and how do we find them?  Across your community, there are tons of people who can benefit from your no longer needed items. Here are a few examples...

 Baby/kids items

Do you have old baby items sitting in a box somewhere? If you’re not using a baby monitor, for example, consider donating it to a teen moms program in. In a recent donation, a teen mom received a baby monitor and said the following:

 “Thank you so much for the baby monitor. It’s a big help! I am able to get a lot more accomplished. I am able to watch her while doing my homework, cleaning, etc...”

 iPods

Thanks to Steve Jobs and the team at Apple, we all have more iPods, iPads, iPhones and iEverything than we need! If you have an extra iSomething laying around, consider clearing it’s content and donating it to an after school or music program. These programs can provide your unwanted electronics as incentives for kids performing well in school or as a tool to help them study and learn about music.

Towels/Linens

Is your towel closet overflowing? Do you have 3 extra bed sheets still left from your first apartment? If the towels or linens are in great condition, a local shelter can use them. If the items have seen better days, consider donating them to an animal shelter where they’ll be used in kennels.

I hope this small list gives you some great ideas of where to donate your clutter and how it makes an impact. Next time you see unused items in your home, remember to get rid of the clutter and also make a difference! If you’re in the Chicago area, let Zealous Good help you find someone who will truly appreciate that stuff you're no longer using.