Goodwill offers tips to declutter your home and life this spring
(SAVANNAH, GA) Researchers at UCLA’s Center on the Everyday Lives of Families (CELF) say Americans’ preoccupation with possessions has created a “clutter culture,” and that the chaos created by having so much stuff is a leading cause of stress. Luckily, Goodwill Industries® helps clear the chaos by accepting donations
of gently used clothing and household goods and using the revenue to fund job training and other community- based career services for people with disabilities and other challenges to gaining and maintaining employment, such as child care, financial education, youth mentoring and transportation.
Subjects in a five-year study used words like “mess,” “not fun” and “very chaotic” to describe their homes. Results of the study are published in a new book titled Life at Home in the 21st Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors.
“It’s no wonder that so many people view annual spring cleaning as cathartic and a stress reliever,” says Lorie Marrero, Certified Professional Organizer®, author of the best-selling book The Clutter Diet and a spokesperson for Goodwill’s Donate Movement.
“From toys and trinkets to clothing and shoes, we tend to accumulate more than we need,” she says. “Clearing the clutter and chaos can lift your mood and keep you on track in other areas of your life.”
The clutter often finds its way to the closet first. According to a national poll featured in the April 2011 issue of ShopSmart magazine, women own an average of 17 pairs of shoes yet only typically wear three of those pairs on a regular basis. More than 13 percent have more than 30 pairs (not including athletic shoes).
But spring cleaning has benefits beyond tidier households and lower stress levels. Donating unwanted or rarely used items to Goodwill® generates revenue to fund job training programs and community-based services that can lead to jobs and fresh starts for people actively seeking work. Goodwill provides career services throughout the Coastal Empire (including Savannah, Richmond Hill, Waycross, Statesboro, Brunswick and Lyons) can use to boost their chances of getting hired, including assistance in writing résumés, job interview practice and access to job leads with leading employers.
“By donating items you no longer use, you extend the lifecycle of goods and, in the process, help fund important Goodwill programs that put people to work and strengthen families,” explains Tammie Blaha, Vice President of Corporate Affairs.
Visit http://locator.goodwill.org to find the nearest donation site.
About Goodwill of the Coastal Empire
Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed. The not-for-profit organization employs
nearly 600 employees throughout the area. In 2012, Goodwill provided services to 24,427 people and placed 1,406 people into employment through various programs offered throughout the region. Goodwill of the
Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, operating 14 retail locations and six Job Connection Centers in that region. Goodwill accepts tax deductible clothing, household items, computers, and car donations, as well as operates an online store at shopgoodwill.com. For more information on Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, please visit www.goodwillsavannah.org . Find us on Facebook: Savannah Goodwill or follow us on Twitter: @SavGoodwill.