Finding Joy in the Season by Decluttering with a Purpose

Christmas day is hot on our heels! It seems like after the Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone – the time until Christmas is in hyper-drive! So much to do between decorating, cleaning, organizing, shopping, and cooking. It sometimes feels like there is just too much to do! But, we love the holiday season for so many reasons.

Of course, gathering with family and friends is one of the best parts of the season. And, if you have kids, the gift-giving spirit is fun to celebrate, especially if you love to give back to the people in your community like we do.

It is really easy to get so wrapped up in all of the things going on over the holiday season, that you forget how important it is to stop and take notice of people who may not have the luxury of spending over the holidays, a family to gather around the table with, or even a warm coat to wear when the cold weather is upon us.

Every year before Holiday-related chaos sets in I make the kids declutter their closets and toy collections. Not only does this make room for the coming influx of new items from their friends and family, but I always donate usable items to my local Goodwill to help benefit other families and create jobs in our local community. I love that my simple decluttering process can help create new jobs in our town.

Donating to local Goodwill stores also provides a wonderful opportunity to talk to my children about how this is a season of giving. Gifts are great, but nothing compares to the feeling of helping others. Goodwill is a great organization to support all year round because every 23 seconds of every business day, someone gets a job through the help of a local Goodwill. Local Goodwill stores offer job training information in person and online at http://www.goodwill.org/find-jobs-and-services/.  

Remember, when you shop or donate at your local Goodwill you save money and create jobs. Find a Goodwill store near you at http://www.goodwill.org/locator/. The items you donate may just make someone else’s holiday a little brighter.

I’d love to see your holiday haul that you’re donating to Goodwill – share a photo to your social media using the hashtag #DonateStuffCreateJobs!