Clearing the Clutter: Choosing Where to Donate

Most families do regular sweeps to get rid of outgrown clothes and toys — and most have favorite places to take donations.

- Carolyn Jabs

Some community organizations pick up things you no longer need or want. (To find one of these agencies, enter your zip code at donationtown.org.) Then there are those hard-to-give-away items. perhaps they are expensive — think smartphones and car seats — or sentimental things like books and stuffed animals that you want to donate to someone who can appreciate them as much as you. The following options give you the satisfaction of knowing you made a responsible, clutter-clearing choice that happens to do something good for someone else.

SHOES

Soles 4 Souls has distributed more than 30 million pairs of shoes since it was founded after Hurricane Katrina. It also accepts gently used clothing. Purchase a mailing label or find a drop-off site on the organization’s website. soles4souls.com.

One World Running sends still-wearable shoes to runners in developing countries. Anything that can’t be worn goes to the Nike-Reuse-A-Shoe program to be recycled into running tracks and playgrounds. Drop-off locations are on the website. oneworldrunning.com.