Donating One Small Item to Charity Can Raise Hundreds of Dollars
By Lynn Proctor
@ThankyouLord (698)
St. Petersburg, Florida
December 15, 2015 11:34pm CST
I was clearing out my closet to donate some clothes to a charity that calls me about every three months. I leave the bags outside my door. As I was pondering over a blouse I had bought from a thrift shop but never wore, I thought about the person who donated it. I wondered who she was, and why she didn't want the blouse any more.
As I thought about this, I wondered if she had bought it new, or used, as I had. Perhaps this blouse, I thought, had been owned by several people. Maybe one bought it new, but seven others bought it used, over time, and none of them kept it long, like me.
I thought about all the donated items that circulate throughout the thrift stores prior to being shipped off to a third world country because they just can't sell the item. How many thrift stores might carry any single item? What about the blouse I just donated? Will the fifth person buy it to wear? The tenth? Who knows? But I thought also about how much money one item can make for charities.
What is the potential of one donated item to continue to earn money for charities? If I donate a vase, and it sells, and later is donated again to another charity, and it sells, and then it's sold on eBay, and it sells, but is donated later to another charity, on and on. One item has possibly unlimited earning potential. Isn't that wonderful?
Things like medical supplies are one thing that always sells, and is always donated sooner or later. Things like walkers, canes and wheelchairs. But appliances, too, are popular.
So, while you might think that the iron skillet you are donating might only bring $4 to the charity of your choice, think again. That iron skillet has a life ahead that will outlive the next five generations, and in all that time, how much money will it draw to help animals, children, the handicapped, the blind, the elderly and the sick?
The more we donate, the more we help those who really need help. I believe that donating items helps more people than if we just throw it away.
This idea was a revelation to me. That our donated items have more potential than giving money, which might just be spent on a new display rack or the electric bill, or worse, be put in the CEO's pocket.
4 people like this
8 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
16 Dec 15
I had never thought about the fact that the same item could end up being donated again, but you are quite clearly right. The only items that I ever buy from charity shops are used DVDs. These are very cheap so I tend to buy a few, watch them and then return them to the charity shop.
3 people like this
@ThankyouLord (698)
• St. Petersburg, Florida
16 Dec 15
And you are one of the money engines for thrift stores! Almost like a rental, no?
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
16 Dec 15
@ThankyouLord That is true, but the DVDs are usually cheap and I only watch a film once, so we both benefit.
1 person likes this
@ThankyouLord (698)
• St. Petersburg, Florida
16 Dec 15
If overnight, all closets were emptied of unwanted, good clothes/shoes and donated to charities, think how many people would benefit. I think we become very lax in our thinking, when we have stashes of stuff around and are really just to lazy to throw it in a bag and drop it off somewhere.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5954)
• Greece
16 Dec 15
That certainly is a great way of looking at donated things. England has lots of charity shops and when I lived there I frequented them, both to buy and to give. Here in Greece I am not aware of any.
2 people like this
@ThankyouLord (698)
• St. Petersburg, Florida
16 Dec 15
Greece doesn't have charity shops? Maybe if they did, the people would flock to them.
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@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
22 Dec 15
@ThankyouLord I'm sure it is. It seems like the gift of donating is one that just keeps on giving. If nothing else, this alone should make people want to donate items.
1 person likes this
@ThankyouLord (698)
• St. Petersburg, Florida
16 Dec 15
It was a revelation to me, too, and I just mentioned to someone else that the taxes these stores bring in must be tremendous as well.
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@ThankyouLord (698)
• St. Petersburg, Florida
16 Dec 15
I think if we knew how much certain things have "earned" we would be absolutely amazed. Shopper of charity (thrift) stores are almost like renters of goods, not buyers. Makes one wonder what the difference is. And the taxes that the item generates, as well. Good grief!
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
10 Jan 16
Donating for the charity is really fun. It gives me a feeling of relief of being able to help other people from the things no longer have used for anyway.
