Share the Wealth- Smartly!

One of the best ways to effectively recycle is to find the best outlets for your stuff.  Particular places or charities where people go with your item in mind.  Though it's a lot easier to just stuff it all in a bag for Goodwill, or worse to throw it in with the garbage, a little extra effort can go a long way to making sure your item enjoys another turn out there.

This morning at my house, we began the dreaded chore of cleaning out school backpacks and the mudroom.  Our mudroom in summer looks a lot different than when school is in session, so a thorough cleaning was in order.  We diligently sorted through old clothes, school supplies, sports equipment and even eye glasses.  Interestingly, there are better places than others to "share the wealth" from our morning effort than others.

For example, Buckhead Church in Atlanta sponsors a mission team that travels to Jonas House in Venezuela each year.  It's a haven created for street boys to work and live and build a better life.  They desperately need school supplies--- so ours went into a big box for them.  (Any girly supplies-not suitable for the boys at Jonas House- will head to Kids in Need, an arm of the Atlanta Food Bank that last year gave 200,000 pounds of brand new school supplies to teachers in low-income schools. For a school to qualify, at least 80% of the students must be enrolled in the federal free and reduced lunch program. There is absolutely no cost to teachers or schools. The Kids In Need facility is reminiscent of a retail store and is continuously stocked with school and art supplies for grade levels Pre-K through 12.)

Old clothes will head to either Goodwill (love their mission to put people back to work) or American Kidney Services (with their retail arm of Valu Village.)  Any scarves, gloves, hats and coats will be saved downstairs for "Housing the Homeless", a hands-on ministry of Mt. Bethel UMC in Marietta, GA.  When temperatures are projected to drop below 25 degrees at night (and highs will remain at or below freezing), this ministry provides shelter, food and supplies to homeless people in Atlanta. When they start collecting again this fall and winter, our box will be ready to go.

Finally, the eye glasses..... we researched and found that One Sight donates and delivers many, many pairs of eyeglasses to the poor around the world- saving sight and livelihoods.  My local Lenscrafters, less than 1 mile away, is a donation sight. When we dropped off the glasses today, the technician told us that people in the poorest countries stand in line for hours to get glasses when they are delivered. Makes you feel good to know you might be able to help someone see half the world away.

A little effort can make a big difference.  A clean mudroom and a bounce in my step-not bad for one morning's work!