How much do we really need?

Guest Blog Post by Joel Bisser, Community Relations Associate

A fresh look at the items we accumulate

Inspired by Fran Heitzman’s famous “spoon story,” (the one where he talks about donating five sets of silverware from his personal kitchen drawers and his wife didn’t notice for several months), I reflected on what excess my own family may have, and as soon as my wife and daughter left to run some errands, I began a search around the house for new and gently used items that our family wouldn’t miss and that we could pass on to others who could use them.

Donation Strategy: Go Room-by-Room!

Starting in a laundry room cupboard, I quickly spotted two brand new water bottles, one from a former employer and another freebie that I got from a credit union promotion. I was sure I’d never use them; in fact, they both have sat there for more than a year without being used!

Then I ventured to the basement bathroom, which only guests and I use. There, I found a pile of about a dozen bath towels at the bottom of the linen closet. Apparently they got moved downstairs after being replaced because of an updated color scheme. I figured we only need four bath towels and a few hand towels! That meant several of these extras– which were in perfect shape– could go to someone who had zero towels. They surely weren’t doing any good just sitting there!

In the guest bedroom, I opened a cedar chest at the foot of the bed and found a queen size comforter and two sets of sheets— more items that we replaced and stored and forgot because of a change in room décor. I was thrilled to find these because these are some of Bridging’s most needed items! Spread over the rocking chair was a new fleece tie blanket with a colorful dinosaur pattern. I honestly don’t even know where this blanket came from, so it too, went into the donation pile.

Moving to a storage area in the basement, I recalled the box of items we never sold at the last few garage sales. The box included a Tupperware canister set and a box of brand new Rubbermaid plastic ware. A few years ago, my wife had bought two sets of 32. Finding these reminded me that I told her at the time we didn’t need 64 food storage containers, (probably don’t even need 32!) So I put the second set in the box and now they will be utilized by someone who needs them.

The donations scavenger hunt continues!

Continuing my scavenger hunt, I also found a 10×12 painting of the famous chubby cherubs of Madonna of San Sisto by Rafael and another larger one titled Cherubs by Mindy Somers that hung in my daughter’s room before she grew up too fast too soon and no longer wanted “baby stuff” in her room.

Why was I retaining these? For the possibility to make just a few bucks at the next garage sale? They currently served no purpose but to take up space, and now I imagined a client’s family and a child’s room with blank white walls and thought these cherubs needed to fly away from storage to help someone else make their house a home!

Help us bridge the gap between those who have and those who have not!

Bridging serves an average 100 households each week. That equates to more than 250 individuals each week and 4,000 households per year! In addition to furniture and housewares, we need an average of 250 towels and blankets each week because it is our goal to provide one towel, one blanket, one sheet set, and one pillow to each person we serve!

Imagine the difference you can by contributing just a few towels, blankets, and some random housewares that you are no longer using!

#FurnishHomesWithHope!

Are you striving for a more minimal lifestyle? Did you recently change your color scheme and/or décor? What better time to reduce that excess and help others! #FurnishHopesWithHope!

• For more information on what we accept, check out our “Give Stuff” page!
• Click here to learn how you can get involved!