Donate in '08!

My good friend Jen X has a blog called "Daily Mitzvah" that suggests ways to make a difference in the world--click here to check it out. Inspired by this and the needs of the Charlotte community, I thought I would experiment with a similar, local blog here. I know that our family is certainly cutting back in our giving this year, and we all know that the United Way is going to take a HUGE hit. However, the needs in our community are only going to grow.

Anyway, with that in mind, I'm going to try to highlight easy ways to help in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

I'm starting off with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, which has a brilliant local campaign going on right now called "Donate in '08." You've probably seen the signs around town that look like political campaign signs. Be sure to check out the Donate in '08 website by clicking here. I love the videos on the website, especially video #2.

Donate in '08 is great incentive to clean out your closet for the winter. I went through and finally parted with all of those outfits I had held onto in hopes that I would be back to that smaller size in the near future. I also donated outfits that had seemed right at the time, but in retrospect are totally not MY style, just IN style. ( I realize that some of you are surprised that I have a personal style...) By the time I was done, I had three boxes full of clothes that I brought over to the Goodwill truck on Randolph Road (across from the Mint Museum).

When you donate clothes (or other items), be sure to itemize everything so you can get a tax deduction. Bankrate.com has great pdf forms that you can download to estimate the value of all of your stuff, whether it is clothing or home items. Click here.

If you are like me, you may not know much about Goodwill besides the fact that it will take your unwanted clothes. On its website, I learned that Goodwill serves homeless people and people who are undereducated or have a lack of job experience, as well as those who have physical, emotional or mental disabilities. Goodwill offers occupational skills training, career development services (including how to write a resume and ESL classes) and centers with fax machines and computers. Click here to visit the main Goodwill Industries, Southern Piedmont website.

To do: Clean out those closets and Donate in '08!