The garage that needs to be cleaned out. The attic that’s so crowded you can barely open the door. The old chair that just needs to go.
In each of these situations, residents need to get items out. When it’s time for items to go, residents have a choice. Some take items to the curb. Others call a junk hauler.
But there’s another option that both keeps items out of landfill, and supports local charities who make a difference in the community.
Choosing to donate furniture has a dual benefit. It helps to redirect items from landfill, and it supports local charities. The proceeds from donated items support the mission of the charities, whether that is building a new home or providing hot meals on the table for families in need.
By scheduling a donation pickup with ReSupply, residents have a convenient option to extend the life of those items, and their value, all while supporting the good work of local charities.
Let’s take a deeper look at the benefits of donating furniture:
Don’t Take Items to the Curb
When people move, items often get taken to the curb, only to go to landfill.
Most people observe this, and see it as an unfortunate reality of American life. While many shake their head, they move on.
But Paul Tocci saw it as an opportunity to make change, and spread good work at the same time.
In 2015, Tocci was stationed on a military base in Georgia. It was a place where many servicemembers moved in and out all of the time as they were called to new assignments. This is the nature of military duty.
Relocation happened quickly. When a family moved out of a home, families had a difficult time moving all of their things. Large quantities of furniture and household items were left behind. Typically, these items were taken to the curb, and eventually they ended up at the dump.
While this was creating waste, Tocci saw that the items being taken to the curb still had value.
Many nonprofits operate retail stores, where donated items are sold at affordable prices. The proceeds from these stores fund the good work of the nonprofit. So an increase in donated items could multiply that organization’s impact in the community.
Paul began partnering with local moving companies to transport items from the homes of military service members to the centers of community service. There, the items took on a second life for new families, and supported the work of the charities that facilitated these sales.
It didn’t take long before the effort grew beyond a single Georgia community. Today, ReSupply partners with 3,000 local charities to provide donation pickups across 46 states. The impact continues to multiply.
Each time a resident makes a furniture donation to a local nonprofit, they make a decision to extend the life of a good, and help others.
Donating Furniture Reduces Waste
Donating furniture keeps items out of increasingly crowded landfills, and extends the life of goods that still have plenty of value.
America thrives on commerce, and that means residents are continuously purchasing new items. While the modern economy has offered huge benefits to consumers in choice and convenience, the reality is that about 80% of furniture and home goods are only used once. This results in $378 billion dollars worth of unused goods sitting in American homes. When homeowners are ready to clean out items, they face time-consuming and effort-intensive options, as they seek to move goods out of the house. As Paul witnessed on the military base, this means that items are often taken to the curb, and end up in landfill.
By scheduling a furniture donation pickup with ReSupply, residents can take away the peace of mind that the couch that provided so much comfort in their living room will continue to be the centerpiece of a happy home, instead of going to landfill.
The impact of each of these decisions can add up over time. Through ReSupply’s donation pickup service, 36 million pounds of household goods were redirected from landfill. That’s good for the environment, and for communities.
Donating Furniture ReSupplies Charities
The retail stores operated by local nonprofit organizations are valuable resources for communities. By reselling goods that are not only still usable but also affordable, families have a resource to shop for furniture that makes their house a home, and doesn’t break the bank.
These stores thrive on furniture that is donated by members of the community. Without donations, they have no goods to sell.
Many nonprofits cannot afford to operate a donation pickup service. The few that can resource movers and a truck have to be very selective about the pickups they choose to make, due to time constraints.
By providing donation pickup, ReSupply provides a steady stream of merchandise that enables these organizations to offer high-quality goods. With a continuous supply provided by donation pickups, they can turn over items on the floor quickly, and sell more items. This encourages frequent shopping from community members. Often, the clientele of these stores overlaps heavily with the group of people that the store is looking to serve. When a Habitat for Humanity homeowner is looking for a new bedroom set, they often turn to a ReStore location first. This provides the nonprofit with another avenue to serve the community.
That’s a big reason that many of these stores become hubs of their community. The stores have frequent visitors from residents looking to see what’s new as each new donation arrives. Many of ReSupply’s partner charities know their shoppers by name, and are always looking to help them when a new item arrives. Whether it’s a couch that provides a place to sit, or a table that provides a nice accent piece for the room, they leave the store happy to have a new piece of furniture for their home. More donations help this happen more often.
Donating Furniture Funds Nonprofits
These retail stores aren’t only a service; they are a social enterprise. Proceeds from the sale of the donated items goes right back into the nonprofit, so they can expand their work to help the community.
Through Goodwill Industries, this helps to support the mission of providing career and employment services for people in transition.
Through Habitat for Humanity ReStores, proceeds fund the construction of new homes.
At the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, funds support efforts to feed, clothe, house and heal individuals and families.
That’s how items still have value. The resources from retail stores can be transformed into hot meals on the table, or emergency assistance for a single mother at the end of the month.
That’s how a donation multiples impact across the community.
Ready to donate furniture? Schedule a pickup with ReSupply today, or call call 781-725-6161.
