Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of clothing, furniture and household items scattered throughout your home? Use this upcoming weekend to start cleaning!

Bring any of your unwanted items to us! By donating to Leeward you are helping turn these items into funds for local charities, such as food pantries and home heating assistance programs, in Essex and York County communities.

Leeward receives a wide range of items on a daily basis.
Below is a list of common donations typically found in our stores:

• Children's/Baby's Clothing
• Dress Shirts
• Pants
• Jackets, Sweaters, Sweatshirts
• Ladies’/Men’s Suits
• Dresses
• Skirts/Shorts
• Sports Wear
• Shoes
• Jewelry
• Handbags
• Artwork
• Kitchenware
• Furniture

Donations may be dropped off at either of our retail locations.

Drop offs can be made Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00AM to 4:00PM
or Sunday, 10:00AM to 3:00PM.

Please take a moment to review our donation criteria.

All donations made to Leeward Thrift Stores are tax deductible.

WHERE TO DONATE ITEMS AFTER CLEANING OUT YOUR HOUSE

Step 1 - Linens and Towels:
Unwanted sheets, blankets and towels can be sent to animal rescue centers, such as the Merrimack River Feline Rescue in Salisbury, MA or Another Chance Animal Rescue in North Berwick, ME.

Step 2 - House Parts and Tools:
Items form furniture to doors and paint to light fixtures are sold at their restore centers and the proceeds support affordable housing projects. Consider donating these items to the Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Lawrence, MA or the Habitat For Humanity York County ReStore in Kennebunk, ME.

Step 3 - Medical Equipment:
May be donated to the Masonic Hospital Equipment Loan Program in Woburn, MA or REquipment DME Reuse Program in Boston, MA, they lend health/hospital equipment to those in need for free. Or you may donate to Partners for World Health, they ship equipment to countries in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Step 4 - Makeup and Toiletries:
Consider donating any unused makeup and/or toiletries to Catie’s Closet in Dracut, MA, they supply clothing and toiletries through their in-school ‘stores’ for students in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Or Catholic Charities of Maine in Portland, ME. They serve tens of thousands of Mainers every year, offering basic necessities and help in moving toward independence and stability.

Step 5 - CHOOSE LEEWARD: Any clothing, furniture and household goods (such as books, cooking utensils, silverware, small appliances…) that are in good working condition may be donated to our very own store, Leeward Light in Salisbury, MA or Leeward Landing in York, ME.

** Please make sure to contact these places ahead of time to make sure they are in fact accepting these types of donations. **

Thank you for joining us in our January Family Closet Clean Out Challenge!
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Share the ways you clean out your house for a good cause!

STEP 1 - TAKE EVERYTHING OUT:
Start by taking all of the clothing, shoes, toys -everything out! Give the closet a good clean (wipe/dust everything down and vacuum) so you have a truly fresh start.

STEP 2 - SORT IT OUT:
Sort piles by category – clothing in one pile, stuffed animals in one pile, etc. Once you have everything laid out where you can see, have the kids to put anything they don't love or use into a donation bin. Anything that isn't in good condition can be tossed.

STEP 3 - STORE AND STYLE:
In order to make sure the kids maintain their space, set up storage boxes with labels to contain items by type. Place seldom-used items on the highest shelves (i.e items to grow into and sentimental items). Use the Hanging Organizer for displaying favorite shoes and accessories, ensuring easy access. As a final touch, you can also upgrade laundry bins with a collapsible hamper.

STEP 4 - CREATE A ROUTINE:
Once a space is set up and organized, it’s important to practice consistent habits to maintain it. Maybe have your kids help fold and put away their clean laundry each week and do a quick sweep of their room before bed to make sure dirty clothes made it into the laundry bin, and that their toys and projects are put away.

STEP 5 - PREPARE FOR NEXT WEEK:
We will be cleaning out household items!

Are you taking on the Family Closet Clean Out Challenge with us? Do you have additional tips for decluttering your home? Leave a message with your ideas!

STEP 1 - CREATE 3 ZONES IN YOUR ROOM:
Begin by sorting your clothes, section by section, into three piles. The clothes you want to keep should remain in your closet, but the other 3 piles should be:
1. MEND/CLEAN
2. DONATE
3. TOSS

STEP 2 - EVALUATE YOUR DONATE/TOSS PILES:
Ask yourself, why is each item in this pile?
• Is the fit off, and the tailor can’t fix it? (tight arms or body, too-wide shoulders, too short, etc?)
• Did the item not quite fit in with the rest of your wardrobe?
• Does the garment still have the tags on it, months or even years later?
• Did you have trouble finding ways to combine the garment in a way you liked?
• Did you buy the garment on a whim? because it was on sale?
• Did the garment wear out faster than you expected?
• Did the garment mysteriously end up with holes, fraying edges, or loose seams?

STEP 3 - DONATE/TOSS:
• Put your donation items into clearly labeled boxes and bring them to either of our thrift store locations.
• Throw your worn, torn, stained, covered in pet hair items into trash bags and dispose of as you see fit.

STEP 4 - GO TO THE TAILOR, COBBLER & DRY CLEANERS:
Make an effort to get your garments and accessories to the right place. Take shoes to the cobbler for new soles and a polish, get the sleeves of that coat shortened, and dry clean jackets before tucking them back into storage.

STEP 5 - PREPARE FOR NEXT WEEK:
We will be cleaning out the kids closets!

Are you taking on the Family Closet Clean Out Challenge with us? Do you have additional tips for decluttering your home? Leave a message with your ideas!