Hey all! This holiday season I’m going to do twelve blogs that will focus on the true spirit of Christmas, giving, while still embodying the true spirit of A Measured Life: maximum results for minimum cash. This series is going to feature twelve ways you can bring joy to others this holiday season even if you don’t have a lot to spend. I hope you find this series fun and inspirational and try some of the tasks I’ve set out for you. They’re easy, honest!

I’ll be counting down from twelve and ending with one on Christmas Eve. Spread the joy along with me!

# 7

On the 7th blog of Christmas AML posed to me:

Donate 7 things you don’t use anymore to a shelter or local charity.

We all have stuff sitting around our homes that have the sold purpose of collecting dust. Maybe old clothes, blankets, furniture, kitchenware, etc. You don’t ever use them but you feel guilty tossing them in a dumpster.

But where do you donate them to make sure the clothes actually get used by people that need them? Check out this article by Fashionista.com which goes into great detail about what happens to your clothes when you donate to retailers. Many large scale charitable organizations aren’t much better, and often used clothing leaves the country altogether, sold for profit.

Your best bet? Donate to LOCAL charities or churches. Yes, you might need to take a few extra minutes to find one, but it’s worth it. Your donations are far more likely to help people in your immediate area. A charity local to me, Unforgotten Haven, aids the homeless, displaced vets and pets in the South Jersey area and has just opened a second location in Long Island, NY. They don’t sell the donations they receive, they go directly into the hands of people who need them. They even have volunteers regularly make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that directly feed the hungry. How cool is that?

So spend the time to find a local charity that needs donations, and even if you donate a little bit of time to make PB&J’s, it’s something. 🙂

Keep your eyes peeled for #6, coming up next!