Ideas for Donating Home Furnishings and More
After you have decided to sell your home and move to a new location, you’ll be making decisions on what to take with you. If you’ve been in your home for many years, you probably have accumulated lots of “stuff” that you may or may not want to bring along.
Why Not Sell?
You can try to sell some things on EBay or Craigs List or one of the many local Facebook Yard Sale groups. Or take clothing or household goods to a consignment shop to see if you can earn a few dollars. You can even organize a yard sale. There is nothing wrong with these options, except they take a lot of time and energy to implement and are not always as successful as you would like.
A better alternative may be to donate your household goods, furnishings, and/or clothing to one of several charitable organizations that use the proceeds from the sale of your donated items to help those in need in the community. Keep in mind that your donations may be tax-deductible!
Information You Can Use
Here are just some of the organizations near to us at Ayer Moving and Storage in Ayer, MA.
We’ve listed the items these charities accept, the days and hours you can bring donations, information on pick-up scheduling (if available) and a little about the organization and what their mission is in the community. Be sure to call or visit the websites so you can double check on current information.
Household Goods
530 Main Street
Acton MA
978-634-1710
Household Goods is part of the Furniture Bank Association of North America, which provides gently-used household furnishings, free of charge, to individuals and families in need. Donations are accepted on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays 9 am – 12 noon.
Cornerstone Thrift Shop
12 Concord Road
Acton MA
978-263-1050
Cornerstone Thrift Shop Website
Located within and operated by the Acton Congregational Church, Cornerstone Thrift accepts donations of home décor, clothing, shoes for all ages, small housewares, books, toys, and CDs. The sale of donated items supports the church’s ministries. Open Mondays and Fridays 10 am – 2 pm; Wednesdays 3 pm – 5:30 pm; and Saturdays 10 am – 12 noon.
Habitat for Humanity Restore
637 Lancaster Street
Leominster MA
978-227-5556
Habitat for Humanity Restore Website
Habitat for Humanity Restore sales help to provide funds for the building of homes. The organization works with people in the community and prospective homeowners to build homes for those who are in need. They accept many items including furniture, electronics, hardware, lighting, tools, building materials, bath and plumbing, and electrical supplies … and even cars! They include a pick-up request on their website for large items. Call for donation days and hours.
Salvation Army Thrift Store
1422 Water Street
Fitchburg MA
978-348-1044
Salvation Army Thrift Store Website
The Salvation Army provides many programs to help the hungry, the homeless, Veterans, and more. They accept household goods, furniture, and clothing. You can schedule a pick-up online for large items. Donations may be brought in Mondays – Fridays 9 am – 3 pm and Saturdays 9 am – 2 pm.
Savers
222A East Main Street
Marlborough MA
508-485-5191
Sales of donated items support non-profit organizations in the community. Clothing, footwear, toys, furniture, books and media, as well as household items are needed. Even single socks and tattered clothing can be repurposed into rags for insulation! Call the local Savers for days and times that donations can be brought in. Check the website for additional locations, including one in North Worcester.
Goodwill Store
25 Park Avenue
Worcester MA
508-752-4042
Open Mondays – Saturdays 9 am – pm and Sundays 11 am – 4 pm, the Goodwill Store provides job training for persons with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Low cost (donated) goods are sold to individuals and families looking for a good value. Acceptable donated items include antiques and collectibles, artwork, linens, bicycles, books and media, clothing and accessories, cookware, household décor, jewelry, small home furnishings, small kitchen appliances, sporting goods, and new toys. In addition, Goodwill accepts computers and accessories for recycling through the Dell Corporation.
Fresh Start Furniture Bank
16 Brent Drive
Hudson MA
508-485-2080 (option 3)
Fresh Start Furniture Bank Website
Like Household Goods in Acton, Fresh Start provides free furniture to those in need. They also take small appliances, lamps, irons, vacuums, kitchen appliances, and new or gently-used linens. Be sure to call for information on pick up. Donations may be dropped off Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 am – 12 noon and Saturdays 9 am – 12 noon.
Before taking donations to any one of these organizations, call to ascertain whether anything has changed – days and hours to donate; items needed or no longer accepted. Remember, too, that items should be clean and in working order with no missing parts. Most charities ask that clothing is pre-washed, and that furniture be free of pet hair or smoke residue.
If you have questions about getting the contents of your home ready for your move or for a no-obligation moving estimate, call the relocation specialists at Ayer Moving and Storage at 800-233-MOVE.
