SO MUCH STUFF
How many of us vow to get more organized at home by keeping our living spaces neat and clutter-free? We consult magazines, books, internet articles offering endless solutions. We browse entire stores dedicated to selling storage products, we can even hire a professional to do the work for us. The fact is, many of us still struggle with how to manage our “stuff.”
Fortunately, there are two books that are changing the organization game. First came Marie Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and her “does this spark joy?” concept, and now there’s The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Both books propose the idea of shifting the focus to getting rid of clutter instead of organizing or storing it.
The authors argue that all of our “stuff” is getting in our way, wasting our time and stressing us out. Despite thousands of tips for organization and creative storage options, most of us just need less stuff. Clothing that hasn’t been worn in years, stacks of old books, computers we’ve replaced, all contribute to a disorganized and sometimes dysfunctional life.
SORT IT OUT
The resounding success and buzz surrounding these books indicates that the promise of an organized space, with less clutter, appeals to many of us. Each of these books provide a step-by-step guide for determining what to keep and what not to keep, both are extremely thorough with interesting philosophies that guide the process. For those of us who want to jump right in, here is another, slightly more simple approach to determining what goes and what stays.
What NOW?
Once you’ve assessed and evaluated these items, where should the things you no longer need go? Goodwill, of course!
There are 18 conveniently located donation locations in Central Iowa.
Here is a quick reference guide for items that we do (and do not) accept.
Our drive-up centers make it easy to pull in, drop off and be on your way.
Keep in mind that all donations to Goodwill of Central Iowa are tax-deductible. Our centers will provide you with a receipt upon donation, and here’s a guide for assigning value to what you donate.
We invest 86 cents of each dollar our retail stores generate into programs that provide skills training and employment services to Iowans with barriers. Your donations make those programs possible.
Though parting ways with your stuff can be hard, the benefits of an organized home and positively impacting Central Iowans with barriers, make it worth your while.
