Tag: donate to veterans

Dog Days: Decluttering With Pets

Posted on by Jordank

If you have #pets, you know that they can contribute to the #clutter and #grime that your home attracts. And the “dog days” of summer are as good a time as any to discover a few strategies to keep your space #organized and #tidy — whether you have a #dog, #cat, or some other furry, scaly or feathered friend.

First, tackle #decluttering #KonMari-style. “When going through your dog or cat’s items, focus on which of them bring your pet the most joy or serve a true purpose,” FreshPet says. “They usually make it pretty clear what they like and don’t like. Keep only the items that make your #pet the happiest.”

Try not to get too sentimental about pet possessions. If there’s something that has particular significance such as your pup’s first collar, frame it. Most other items can be discarded; #donate lightly used items to a local animal shelter or ClothingDonations.org. If something holds memories but is of little use, take a picture of it before letting it go.

Life Storage suggests creating pet “stations” around the house, designating bins and baskets for grooming items, outdoor/exercise needs, toys, and food and treats. If you house your pet in a crate, cage or aquarium, keep any related supplies #organized nearby for convenient care and maintenance.

PopSugar offers a list of 10 pet #organization products “sure to make your life easier,” or you can DIY your own storage solutions. Get creative with #thrift-store finds, shop the container section of a local hardware store or build an organizer. Consider labeling all boxes, baskets and bins as an additional #streamlining strategy.

Once your pet #stuff is organized and in its proper places, you won’t be tripping over toys or wasting time wondering where the leash went. And your home will be easier to #clean, too! Pets shed, track in dirt and leave other messes in their wake. But that’s a topic that The Organizing Blog will revisit another day. Enjoy the dog days!

Leading Support for the Nation’s Veterans

Posted on by Jordank

Every other year, the Vietnam Veterans Association (VVA) hosts a National Leadership Conference to help it better support #veterans. This year, VVA will invite members from its more than 650 local chapters nationwide to the summit, set for Aug. 9–13 in Greenville, S.C.

While VVA was launched by and for #Vietnam veterans, the association’s motto is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.” Topics discussed at the conference will be of interest to veterans of all U.S. conflicts and their families.

Seminars will cover multiple VVA initiatives, and many are open to the public. They will offer information on healing the wounds of war, including disabilities related PTSD, traumatic brain injury and toxic exposures to substances such as Agent Orange.

Others will discuss accessing veterans’ benefits, homelessness, substance abuse, suicide, and health care for the aging veteran. Special training will be available to veteran service officers (VSOs) who are helping veterans on the ground throughout the country.

Like any convention, there will be banquets, awards and special recognitions. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, will deliver a keynote speech at the event.

“It is my honor to serve the member of our military, veterans and their families in the state of North Carolina,” Lt. Gen Gaskin said upon being appointed to his current post. “Although I retired from active duty in 2013, my commitment to providing the opportunities, resources and care owed to our military members and veterans has never ceased.”

Likewise, VVA’s commitment to veterans is unflagging. It holds the summit to better serve the nation’s 17.4 million veterans in substantive, constructive ways. And the association couldn’t accomplish this important work without your generous #donations.

Every #donation to VVA — made directly or via ClothingDonation.org — helps a veteran. When you #clean a closet, #declutter a room or #organize the garage and donate, a veteran benefits. We thank you for your ongoing support!

Veterans Put the ‘Fun’ in Fundraiser

Posted on by Jordank

Regular followers of The Organizing Blog know that #donations of used clothing and household goods to ClothingDonations.org go toward programs that help #veterans pay for food, housing, health care and other necessities.

But did you know that Vietnam Veterans of America’s local chapters throughout the country also host #fundraisers that get veterans more involved with each other and their communities — while also helping veterans in need?

Veterans put the “fun” in fundraisers with parades, car shows, barbecue cook-offs and more. In doing so, they sustain chapter outreach and good works in the community, supplementing and building upon the proceeds from #donations of used goods.

Texarkana Chapter 278, for example, hosts a Wagons for Veterans fundraiser that gives locals a taste of the chuckwagon-style cooking of the Old West. The all-you-can-eat feast draws thousands of patrons for a full day of festivities every year.

Chapter 116 in Leominster, Mass., holds a fundraiser that sells locals guesses as to when a mannequin seated on a lifeguard’s perch, “Rocky,” will fall through pond ice during the spring thaw. The closest entry to the exact time wins $500, and veterans get the rest.

Many chapters sell flags, wreaths and walkway bricks to place in honor of those who served. Some hold outdoor festivals, 5Ks and charity motorcycle rides. And more host luncheons, dinners and dances, often inviting interesting guest speakers.

In addition to supporting member veterans, every chapter uses some of the money raised to give back to its community. They award college scholarships to local students, march in parades, build memorials, donate to local food pantries and much more.

If you can attend a local event, great! You’ll take part in the fun. But also remember that every time you #declutter and contact ClothingDonations.org for a free #donation #pickup, you are #donating not just to area #veterans, but to the entire community.

Binge-Watch These Shows to Cut the Clutter

Posted on by Jordank

If you’re anything like The Organizing Blog staff, you’re probably spending lots of time indoors this month to avoid exposure to the coronavirus and the frigid temperatures. That likely means you’re doing lots of binge-watching of broadcast and subscription TV.

It’s been nearly two years since the pandemic emerged, however, and your surroundings may have gotten a bit #cluttered with all of that at-home time. What if there were a way to binge-watch and learn how to #streamline your space at the same time?

Good news! There are multiple programs that will help put you on a more #minimalist path. Watch them, then get off the couch and practice what they preach to cut the #clutter in your home.

First up is maybe the biggest #decluttering show of all time, Netflix’ Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. Since the show’s premiere in 2019, the organization expert has helped people organize their lives to “spark joy” starting with their sock drawers.

HGTV’s Hot Mess House offers harried homeowners a video one-on-one with organizing expert Cassandra Aarssen to help them figure out their organizing style. They (and viewers) then can take her tailor-made tips to make their homes happy and clutter-free.

Nashville-based organizers Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin offer a glimpse into their celebrity clients’ lives in Get Organized With the Home Edit while offering useful tips for the more quotidian declutterer-to-be, targeting specific stresses and decorating styles.

Finally, no #organization playlist would be complete without A&E’s long-running Hoarders. Offering sobering cautionary tales of what can happen when people allow their #stuff to run amok, the show will have you cleaning out your closets in no time.

Binge-watch a few episodes of the above shows; before you know it, you’ll be inspired to tackle the clutter in your home. And be sure to schedule a #pickup with ClothingDonations.org to #donate any of your lightly used, unwanted #junk to a good cause. Happy #decluttering!

Clothing Donations Are Still Safe Under Delta

Posted on by Jordank

With coronavirus cases again on the rise due to the highly contagious Delta variant, remember that clothing donations can be made without coming into close contact with other people or risking viral transmission. Put lightly used clothing and household goods into boxes and bags, contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a convenient, contactless pickup, and place those boxes and bags in the designated area on the scheduled day. A truck will whisk that used stuff away and leave you a receipt for tax purposes.