A Win-Win Situation – Cleaning your Home & Supporting your Local Donation Center

MERS goodwill donation center

Top Reasons to Support Your Local Donation Center

Poverty is widespread, and it seems like there is nothing we can do to stop it. As a matter of fact, approximately 21,000 children die every day due to poverty. In addition, over 750 million people do not have access to clean drinking water, proper clothes, and sanitation. What is worse is that these people normally live in areas that are secluded from the general population which makes it even harder to reach out to them.

Even though poverty is severe, it is sometimes easy to forget how helpful our pocket change can be when we decide to add it all together. Of course, giving a donation can be a challenge most especially when the money is tight and constricted. After all, your salary could just go straight to your insurance and be used for a college savings fund for your kids or even for a great pair of boots.

It is, however essential to note that you don’t need to be a millionaire to make a significant impact as even small donations are extremely helpful to enhance the quality of an individual’s life. What is great about helping others is that it does not only create change in a community but also brings a feeling of peace into your mind. Certain things you can do to help the less fortunate include buying fair-trade goods, sharing a holiday meal or giving them your extra clothes and materials by de-cluttering your home.

Organizing and streamlining your home by getting rid of items you don’t need not only brings a sense of joy to your life but also happiness to the poor people around you. One of the most popular methods to simplify your home is by dividing your possessions into five different items such as clothes, books, komono or miscellaneous items, sentimental items, and papers. Primarily, the process involves picking out items that have a certain value to you.

If a particular item does not spark or bring joy to you, you can always give them to any donation center or goodwill stores in nearby locations. While the task can be challenging, the rewards that come with it can be satisfying. Donating allows you to be physically, mentally, and financially strong. Research has shown that de-cluttering items not only gives someone a more superior sense of control but it also lowers their stress levels.

Benefits of Cleaning Your Home to Support a Donation Center

Cleaning your home to give to a donation center is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life. Here are some benefits that you can attain when you choose to do such a thing:

It Makes You Feel Good

Tidying up your home and supporting a donation center can be great for your mental health. There have been numerous studies which have shown that making a donation to charity registers a certain amount of pleasure to the brain. An Oregon professor along with his colleagues found out that donating charitable contributions to a center that takes donations develops a response in the brain that surges your dopamine to a pleasurable level. In addition to that study is a 2011 finding which revealed that less clutter in your working environment could abruptly make you more efficient to complete the task at hand.

It Improves Your Overall Health

Reports have also shown that giving or volunteering your services to a donation center can help improve your overall health. In fact, people who volunteer achieved a much higher score on the vital measurements of overall health as opposed to individuals who don’t donate. By the same token, people who volunteer their services to these centers have managed to increase their walking and their ability to climb stairs as well as enhance their cognitive functions and minimize time watching television.

Minimizes Stress

People who de-clutter their homes and volunteer themselves to a donation center can minimize their stress levels. It has been found out that those individuals who are involved in charities experienced lower rates of stress and much lower blood pressure. In related studies, cleaning can likewise give you a little exercise to relieve your stress, burn calories, and release endorphins. When you help others, it removes the focus off of you and your problems as you subsequently move your attention to the pressing needs of others. It also allows you to live longer, as you are able to avoid a number of health issues such as headaches, depression, and anxiety when you are living a stress-free life.

It Encourages Everyone To Do Same

Giving to a donation center introduces other family members including your children to the importance of generosity. Simply sharing the experience of giving to charity with your children allows them to learn at a young age that they can make a difference. Naturally, children love to help other people, so developing their innate kindness will likely help them grow up more grateful for what they have. Other than that, giving also builds a bond that will help boost relationships not only with your family but also in the community in which you are living.

Increases Your Standing In The Community

Like it or not, donating to charities can also help increase your social standing in the community. Normally, generous donors have more influence in the decision-making process in a community, since they have demonstrated their interest and invested their time in helping other people. In other words, the more you give to a donation center, the higher the possibility that you will have more influence on the activities of the organization.

Helps You Earn Cash

Earning while helping others does not happen a lot. By simply cleaning your home, you are able to pick out items that are no longer useful and sell them to Salvation Army and Goodwill stores. This is an excellent way of not only earning some cash but also allowing someone to benefit from designer pieces that you no longer use.

Improves Money Management

One of the most fulfilling experiences when giving items to a donation center is being able to improve your personal money management. This will allow you to be more observant to your finances and asseverate that you don’t lose money in unimportant ventures. Best of all, it will also help you learn the value of things which enables you to grow and develop as a much better person.

Create More Meaning To Your Life

When you decide to give out something to a donation center, you are able to build more opportunities to meet individuals who have the same beliefs as you. Making an impact, even if it is small, can create more meaning to your life especially if you have been professionally or personally stuck in the middle. It also improves your overall life satisfaction since you will be happier to live in a community that is made up of people that share their blessings.

Get A Deduction In Tax Bills

Paying fewer taxes is what every entrepreneur wants. By simply giving out something to a donation center approved by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you are able to get particular deductions on your tax bills. It is, however, important to remember that there are certain conditions that may apply in order to enjoy this service. Contributions to foreign governments and charities as well as to particular individuals are not deductible on your tax bills.

Improve The Morale Of Your Employees

Making a contribution to a donation center not only enhances the image, profits, and tax breaks of your organization but can also boost the morale of your employees. According to research findings, employees who volunteer to share their time and money for a good cause have improved working morale. In addition, taking part in such activities also makes them feel like they are a part of your family and could increase the chances of retaining them as your employee.

How to Start Cleaning Your Home?

So you are now convinced and ready to make changes in your home but you don’t know where to start. Cleaning your entire house can be tough and time-consuming. In this guide, we will show you how to clean your house in a more systematic and organized manner.

Pick Up Clutter

Among the first things you can do to start the cleaning process is to pick up clutter so that you have fewer items to put away. It is highly recommended to examine items such as old clothes, DVDs, televisions, books, toys, old computers, and furniture to determine whether they are still useful or whether it is time for them to be recycled or donated to a donation center. In most cases, we advise that you divide your items into specific categories and go through them one by one. This is an optimal way of making sure that you won’t throw away items that will be needed by yourself or your kids down the road.

Have A Garbage Bag

Another thing you should do before kickstarting the cleaning process is to buy a garbage bag that is sufficient enough to handle all your dirt. It is best to use a bigger bag to make sure that it can fit all your trash as you do a walkthrough of your entire home. In doing a walkthrough, empty all small cans in the bedrooms and the bathrooms before putting them outside for pick up.

Dust Your House

When all things are settled, it is now time to remove dust on the sides of your furniture as well as on your TV screens and picture frames. Always make sure that ceiling fans and light bulbs are turned off before beginning your dusting work. It is most ideal to use microfiber cloths since it has the capacity to minimize allergens and more importantly increase the quality of air in your house.

Alternatively, you can also choose to use dampened cloths since they are more effective in eliminating cobwebs, most especially if they are tied to your mops and brooms. Never forget to remove the dust on your door fans, light fixtures, and computer monitors to avoid illnesses.

Vacuum The House

It is no secret that dust and other particles cannot simply be extinguished by just wiping a cloth so it is most excellent to use a vacuum. Always see to it that the vacuum has the right settings and attachment so that you can easily find dirt in the whole house. Vacuuming can also help you find missing items such as pens, socks, or important paper documents that are hiding between the cushions of your couch.

Evaluate The Value Of Your Items

After cleaning your house, it is now time to return the items back to where they belong. It is, however, recommended that prior to doing such a thing, one should try examining the value of a particular item into their lives. This is a great way of not only making your space livelier but also picking out things that you can give to your local donation center.

While evaluating each item, we encourage that you imagine the lifestyle you want to live and what you need to get to that point. Anything that won’t help you in the journey does not deserve to have space in your life which simply indicates that you have to let go of it.

Primarily, the intention of doing this is to have a home which is free from clutter so that you can achieve a more joyful and prosperous life. As weird as it sounds, you should thank each item for serving its purpose before delivering the items to a donation center. It is always nice to have a set of boxes where you can put the items you no longer need, so it is easier to bring them into a donation center that is close to you.