getting rid of clothes

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Forum -> Household Management

Getting rid of clothes

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frummom

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:11 am

I finally went through a bunch of old clothes a while back (okay, a few months ago), and bagged them up - some to throw away, and some to give to the tzadekes who collects old clothes. well, the "give away" bags have been sitting in my house ever since embarrassed

- the tzadekes hasn't been available for a number of reasons, and I can somehow never manage to get to her when she is.

flylady says I should just throw it out, and I'm inclined to do that just becuase I can't stand looking at the bags anymore (and my husband is getting annoyed too!) - but I know that besides the used stuff, there's a few really nice, brand-new pieces of clothing (that were passsed on to me by others but I never needed) in the various bags.

I feel bad tossing good stuff, but enough is enough.

so tell me - do I toss?

chen

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:19 am

are there no other gmachs to whom you can bring the stuff? How about a goodwill store?

worst comes to worst, put the nice things on a table in front of your house with a sign "Free Stuff--Please Take". But I'll bet if you wrote "Sale, 25 cents a piece" and put a little jar on the table, the stuff will vanish.

chocolate moose

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:40 am

Even if you put them by the curb, chances are that needy people will see them and take them. That's what has halppened by us several times.

mimsy7420

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:40 am

Sometimes, certain charities will come pick the stuff up. Aren't there any big used clothing donation boxes anywhere you can just throw it in?

JMto2

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:41 am

is there a family in the community that you know would benefit from these clothing maybe just drop it by there doorstep

lucky

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:42 am

I also have sooo many things to give away, and no one to give it too....

JMto2

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:44 am

you can also all make a garage sale with the items and donate the money to tzeddakah

Crayon210

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 11:48 am

Do not make a garage sale! It will be a lot of work you probably don't have time for!

Raisin

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 12:32 pm

where I live the recycling banks (you know, huge metal boxes where you throw glass bottles and stuff) have one box for clothes. I think they get sent to Africa or somewhere.

do they have those where you live?

chocolate moose

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 1:15 pm

We need an ImaMother sale section!

shayna82

Fri, Jul 28 2006, 1:17 pm

by us there are very few homeless, and they dont live anywhere near me. so throwing them outside wont help anything. I see if any of my sisters want, then try ebay, then craigslist. why not make back some money.

ceo

Wed, Aug 02 2006, 10:48 am

This happened to me, too. Also, the gmachim in my city are very picky about what they take and have very limited hours- you can drop off clothes once a week between 11 and noon! that doesn't work for me.

Ideally, if you can't find a Jewish organization to give to, you can always call 411 and get the number for either
Military Order of the Purple Heart or AmVEts. These are organizations that help veterans. You donate your stuff to them, and they sell it in their resale shops. You will get a form that you made a donation, which is good at tax time.

Also, see if there is a freecycle in your city (I think the website is freecycle.org)

mother48

Wed, Aug 02 2006, 10:59 am

I had a tzedakah pile grow, and grow for 2yrs, and finally, in one of my nesting stages finally got my husband to bring to some gemach.

the last batch just went straight to my (very excited) cleaning lady.

maybe just call goodwill or purple heart, I think they do pick ups.

if you do have the time and paitence, I guess ebay is a good bet.

brooklyn

Wed, Aug 02 2006, 12:04 pm

I used to call yeshivahs or gmachs to come pick up clothes, they either didn't pick up or when they did, picked through everything and claimed that most of it was not up to their standards. They said that some of the styles were from last year so they wont take it. ( I couldn't believe it when I heard that). One day there was a flyer on my door from the local church. They said they go around the neighborhood on the first Monday of each month and that if people have anything to donate they should place it in a bag in front of their door on that day. They came and took everything without any questions and left a receipt for taxes. Have been doing that ever since. If the Jewish funds are too picky then I will give it to whomever appreciates it.

ceo

Wed, Aug 02 2006, 3:15 pm

I also feel bad giving stuff away to non-jewish organizations, but Brooklyn is right, the Jewish ones don't make it so easy for you to give to them. Organizations like Purple Heart come and pick up (in my city, they have a certain day, like the 3rd Tuesday of the month that they come to each neighborhood).