Spring Cleaning {The Impact of Donating in Dayton}

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I look forward to the annual “Spring Cleaning” almost as much as I dread it. My cleaning process looks a lot more like just a bigger mess. But here’s the thing, you have to get it all out in the open before you can do any real cleaning or actual organizing. One of my infamous projects is always the closet.

Namely, my clothes closet, which I begrudgingly share half of with my husband, but also any cubby with a door and a shelf.

donating

Those poor things squeal as I forcibly shut them every time. That is until spring comes around and does this crazy thing like motivating me to want to see the floor in my linen closet or the back of my pantry. She’s a funny thing.

Not only does going through the dusty cavities of my house help me see exactly what I have, but it also highlights exactly all of what I don’t use. Clothes, beauty products, shoes, even movies (not books, never books), and especially toys. Oh, the toys. Seeing all these items, who never see me or frankly, the light of day, makes me wonder where they could be going and what they could be doing. Not a new concept, I know, but a great, teachable moment and a timely reminder of how important it is to donate.

When you think of donating, I’m sure the first few places that come to mind include the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and maybe even a church, which are all lovely options. However, I want to tell you some of the places that may be lesser known around the Dayton area and give the items you donate to people in need.

The Family Violence and Prevention Center in Xenia is a center devoted to serving families in Greene County by providing services that aim to prevent and decrease the amount of violence in families and relationships. Currently, they are accepting donations for hygiene kits, shampoos, baby supply kits, pet items, and several more articles.

Another wonderful center to consider donating to is Clothes That Work. This is a resource for people joining the workforce who need professional clothes. They accept donations by appointment and ask that the clothes be work attire, clean, and not older than five years. Clothes That Work is located in Dayton and open from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for donations.

Seeds of Hope is an organization that works to provide services and help foster and kinship families and families that are in the process of reunification. They are located in Troy but serve families in the Miami Valley. They take several different types of donations, and they post a current needs list on their website for each month. Right now, one of their needs is 2T girls’ clothes. They host shopping days and lots of fun events for kids for the community and families.

Finally, For the Love of Children tells you exactly who they help in their name. A particular service I find so lovely is their boutique. This space provides tuxedos and gowns to high schoolers who otherwise could not afford one themselves to wear to homecomings and proms. They accept donations of these and allow students to choose what to don on their special night.

So while you are spring cleaning, whatever that process looks like for you, remember that our city of Dayton is filled with charitable places to donate. This spring, my kids are old enough to really understand and experience the impact that giving can have. Where will your family be donating?