Steve Clark

The heat is on its way, and unfortunately, not everyone can handle it equally. With summer rearing its head towards us, it’s time to consider those whose struggles don’t stop when the weather gets nicer. Donations are a huge help in making sure that those who have trouble getting what they need are taken care of. I am going to go over some of the most useful items to donate in the summer so you can start to gather up your donations.

Although some of these items are needed all year round, there are a few special items that could benefit someone in the summer. It’s good to have a stock of items like these so shelters don’t run out of them halfway through the season.

Toiletries

Definitely a category of items that would be useful to donate all throughout the year, we can’t forget how important certain toiletries are to our daily lives and how some people have to go without them. Things such as deodorants, dental care products, feminine hygiene products, and more are all sorely needed. These kinds of items are the perfect thing to pick up on sale so you can get extras for cheap. When you need to restock, go that one step further and pick up an extra for someone who maybe can’t afford it right now.

Socks and Undergarments

Just because someone is down on their luck doesn’t mean they deserve to be uncomfortable. In a lot of places, socks and undergarments are some of the most requested items because of how essential they are to daily living. With the summer comes heat, and with heat comes sweat that can make people burn through clothing much quicker than normal. Remember that if you want to donate items like socks and undergarments, they need to be brand-new and in their original packaging. You can donate a lot of items used, but these two things specifically should be in mint condition for sanitary purposes.

Transportation

Something that a lot of people don’t consider is how difficult it can be to pick yourself back up when you can’t get anywhere. Whether you need to get to a faraway job, travel to an interview, or just go to the grocery store, transportation is just one more thing a lot of us take for granted. You obviously don’t need to go out and buy another car, but it’s possible you have another mode of transportation that someone could use. Bicycles and scooters can make such a big difference to someone’s life, even if those items are a bit aged. Having a reliable way to get around can have a huge impact.

School Supplies

Not many people think of school in the summer, but the break only lasts so long. Many schools rely on donations to have the supplies they need to teach children come fall. It’s never too early to pick up some extra school supplies and donate them to a school near you, especially when they’re on sale. The earlier these schools receive these donations, the earlier they can make their budgets for the year, so it does help to donate early.

Warm Weather Clothing

Some of the most useful items to donate in the summer are warm weather clothes. Just like how people need thick jackets and blankets in the winter, people without shelter need to be able to handle the heat. Whether you’re cleaning out your closet or perusing a thrift store, keep an eye out for breathable clothing suitable for the intense heat. Your donation could save someone a lot of misery when they can’t find a place to stay. Always remember to check old clothing for quality before you donate it. Clothing with rips or holes in it won’t be very useful to anybody.

Sunscreen

Another essential item for people lacking proper shelter in the summer is good sunscreen. High SPF sunscreen can go a long way towards not just keeping someone safe in the summer, but keeping them healthy as well. Sun exposure is a problem for people without a place to retreat to. Try to imagine if you had to be outside all day long in the sun without sunscreen, and you’ll probably understand why this is a useful item to donate.

First-Aid Equipment

First-aid equipment isn’t only needed in the summertime, but it’s obviously always a useful item to donate. People impacted by homelessness often don’t have a lot of options for medical care. Even simple items like bandages and disinfectants are things that we always seem to have on hand, but we never consider how bad it would be if we needed them and didn’t have them. Any first-aid equipment that you plan to donate should be completely sealed in its original packaging if you want it to actually find its way to someone in need.

Boxes and Bags

For people that lack a concrete place to live or stay, they are often on the move a lot of the time. This requires them to have a way to transport their important items from place to place safely. Sturdy boxes and quality bags can be quite useful to these people that need to travel around a lot. Certain places will take boxes and bags off your hands and repurpose them for people who need the extra storage space.

Non-Perishable Food

Especially in the summer, food can go bad very quickly if it’s not kept at the proper temperature. That’s why it’s so important that we donate non-perishable food items. Food that doesn’t need a refrigerator or freezer will be much more useful to someone who doesn’t have those things. The longer the shelf life, the better for these items. Much of this food goes to local food banks that need to be able to store products for a long time. If you really want to go the extra mile, try to donate food that has more nutritional value than your average canned item.

When you need a donation pick-up service that’s fast and efficient, thrift store in Santa Rosa Beach, FL is the option to opt for. They’ll gladly come to pick up your donations whenever it’s convenient for you.

We’re all guilty of hanging onto clothes that we don’t need anymore. Whether it’s for sentimental purposes or if we’re just not that good at letting go of anything, our closets can quickly start to get out of control unless we change something. How do you know which clothes are the right ones to let go of and which ones you should hang onto? To help you out, we’ll go over a few signs that you should donate your clothes so that you can feel okay about giving them up.

You Haven’t Worn Them in Over a Year

Let’s face it—if an entire year goes by and you haven’t put something on once, you’re not waiting for the right time to wear it. You just don’t want to wear that piece of clothing anymore. All clothing articles like this do is take up space and collect dust when they could be out in the world serving someone else. If it’s hard to remember the last time you put something on, you probably won’t miss it once you donate it.

They No Longer Fit You

It’s pretty common for people to have clothes that they keep as a sort of aspiration. Maybe one day you’ll wear that shirt again, right? The truth is that it’s not going to do anything more than make you feel bad about yourself. Whether you’ve lost or gained weight, you don’t need to hang onto your old clothes that don’t fit anymore.

Your Style Has Changed

Everyone goes through phases with their sense of fashion. It’s normal to think that something you once wore doesn’t work for you anymore. However, just because you’ve grown out of it stylistically doesn’t mean that piece of clothing needs to go in the garbage. Every style has a place somewhere. So, an article that doesn’t work for you could be the exact thing someone else needs to complete their outfits.

Your Stage of Life Changed

A good sign that you should donate your clothes is when you enter a new stage of life, and your old outfits become unsuitable for you as a result. Maybe you received a promotion and need more professional clothing and less casual clothing. Perhaps you don’t go out to clubs and bars much anymore and don’t need your old party clothes. There’s nothing wrong with moving forward and developing as a person. Therefore, you should remember that you don’t need to cling too tightly to the past.

When the time comes to move on from your old clothes, you can donate them to thrift store in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.