Howto give unwanted items social and environmental purpose this spring
Make your donations matter at The Salvation Armythrift Store.
The tradition of springcleaning dates back centuries and for many, it involves clearing the clutter – from closets overflowing with unworn clothes and a basement filled with longforgotten toys and sports equipment to a garage or attic that’s become a catchall. After a long winter, spring- cleaning is a great way to freshen up your home while extending the life of items you no longer need and helping to build stronger communities.
This is the message of The Salvation Army Thrift Store, National Recycling Operation’s national campaign, “Your Donations Matter: There’s Power in Giving.” The four- week campaign encourages Canadians to declutter with purpose by giving unwanted items the power to make a difference for someone in your community. “Donations are at the heart of what we do in our mission to make a positive impact in the local communities in which we operate, and we are calling on Canadians to spring into action this month,” says Tonny Colyn, national director of business development and sustainability – Canada, The Salvation Army Thrift Store, NRO.
Funds generated from donations help support local Salvation Army programs and services such as food banks for hunger relief, school programs and camps, shelters for people experiencing homelessness, rehabilitation for those struggling with addictions, and emergency relief efforts serving more than 400 diverse communities across Canada.
Though the benefits of donating things that no longer serve you are many, decluttering can be challenging. Colyn recommends tackling one room at a time and organizing your belongings into three piles: donate, think about and keep. “Try to eliminate more items than you bring home. The ‘ one- in, two- out rule’ is always good to practice at any given time,” she says.
In addition to empowering people in your community, donating unwanted items has a positive environmental impact, at a time when sustainability efforts are becoming increasingly vital every day. “Not everybody equates donating clothing and household items as an environmental initiative, but it certainly is because you’re extending the life of those products, which diverts them from landfill,” says Colyn.
The concept of environmental sustainability is woven throughout the entire lifecycle of donated clothing and household items at The Salvation Army Thrift Store. Donating is itself an act of recycling by diverting goods from landfill and ensuring that these items are given another chance at life. Donations not sold in store or given to those in need have another opportunity to be recycled through The Salvation Army Thrift Store’s 11 Distribution and Recycling Centres.
“When I was working at one of our Donor Welcome Centres, I found that people always have a story about what they’re donating to us,” says Dan Kinsey, national director of distribution and recycling – Canada, The Salvation Army Thrift Store, NRO. “Donating is environmentally and socially conscious, but it’s also a great way to honour the stories behind these items and give them new life.”
After you drop off your donations at a Donor Welcome Centre at one of The Salvation Army Thrif t Store’s 100- plus locations across the country, a production team sorts and reviews items to give them the best chance at a second life.
Most items make their way onto the sales floor to be sold at affordable prices – some to shoppers who want to stretch their dollars and some to those who enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Many items will be given to people who need emergency support or a helping hand through The Salvation Army’s social services voucher program. Nearly 50,000 vouchers valued at more than $ 6.2 million were redeemed by individuals and families in need at stores across the country during the last fiscal year.
The charitable organization is one of the country’s original and largest recyclers and a leader in textile diversion. The Thrift Store diverted more than 82 million pounds of clothing and textiles, household items, electronics and metal, and books, paper and pulp from landfills in the last fiscal year. “We hope people think of us when they’re tidying up or moving and remember that there’s power in giving your unwanted or unneeded clothing and household items. Please donate them,” Colyn says.
“When something like a donated shirt is sold, that money helps our many services beyond our Thrift Store,” says Kinsey. “It’s a great story to tell because that piece of clothing is going towards helping our communities and a whole new chapter of reuse and recycling begins.”
EVERYDONATION MATTERS
• Canadians are encouraged to think about why donating to The Salvation Army Thrift Store really matters at a local level to help build stronger communities and support environmental sustainability. Learn more at www. thriftstore. ca/donate- today.
• Spring into action by donating to The Salvation
Army Thrift Store during their four- week national campaign: “Your Donations Matter: There’s Power in Giving.” The dedicated campaign runs March 2 to 31.
• Looking around one’s home or business, and talking to family and friends are easy ways to spring into action and donate to a local Salvation Army Thrift Store. Go one step further, and make a local Salvation Army Thrift Store the donation destination for community and neighbourhood donation drives.
• Accepted donations include accessories, antiques and collectibles, clothing, computers, electronics, furniture, housewares, media and books, seasonal items, textiles and toys.
• Donations of gently used clothing and household items are always needed. Donor Welcome Centres are located in every Salvation Army Thrift Store and are open daily. An attendant is on hand to help donors and offer a thank you coupon. Visit www. thriftstore. ca for locations.