Freecycles contains thousands of local groups of homeless and poor people through out the country is the place where one can turn unused items into "valuable must have and eagerly waiting but can not afforded items"
Catholic Charities at Edison told me that they only accept donation of NEW clothes, besides, they have storage issue, they do not have budget to build more storages. So, when I donated, I just went to Childware nearby to buy hundreds of new clothes to donate. After September, all the summer clothes are on sale, $1 or $2 a piece, and I just got whole block for $100 from manager, about 25 cents per piece.
Besides, when you donate new clothes to them, the would NOT just give to homeless families came to their shelter, they "make them BUY with their internal money". How to make internal money, you have to work for them. Don't think the shelter is free, each person is $50 a night, and whether they accept you as homeless depends on if YOU HAVE SPONSOR. That is to say, if county welfare willing to pay for your stay, say, if you become homeless one day, then they accept you, otherwise, even if there is long line and vacant rooms, you can not move in.
It is more like a motel. So, if you were sent in by police department, say, domestic violence, ...etc, then they will take since they are sure to have sponsor, someone will pay for them.
But, think about it, if all your items
can be obtained by homeless, poor people in your area, they can save money to pay for their rent, and it would less likely for them to be evicted by landlord's lawyer and become homeless.
Also, if there are more people like you willing to help your peer homeless, poor, or ex homeless families with your unwanted items, the imports of the country will be reduced and the trade deficit will drop.
Freecycles has helped many many homeless and ex homeless families to obtain desperated needed items. e.g.
Patti McKenzie at Williamsburg VA used to host 19 homeless people in her home, and later form a ministry, ever since she found out this Freecycles, she was able to get many unwanted items for all homeless families, and later she introduce all who need items but can not afford to there.
You can think of it is like a FREE eBay, not only the service is FREE, the unwanted items is "given" FREE. It is very cost effective, and as you can guess from above example, hundreds of thousands of charities or sheltors also using it for their clients to obtain FREE unwanted items they desperatedly need. So, you are guaranteed there is NO waste.
And, you help homeless shelters like Catholic Charities too to save storage cost and deliver cost. You also help taxpayer because, for example, each homeless family cost $31,000 average to New York City government to eventually move off homelessnes after 11 months.
Therefore, a
cost effective distribution channel to pass the unwanted items to deperated needed people would not only give the giver no cost satisfaction but give the taker warm feeling and hope of the world.
For those of you who all have good warm hearts, you may help your preferred charities or poor friends and relatives to obtain free unwanted items at Freecycles as well.
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