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You’ve decluttered. Now what?

July 14, 2021
donation

July 15 is National Give Something Away Day! Chances are you spent some time decluttering over the past year, and you may even have a pile of things you want to donate. What do you do next? (if you’re not at that point yet, our friends at the Betty Brigade have excellent tips to help with downsizing on their blog).

Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop (2280 S. Industrial Hwy in Ann Arbor)

  • The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop is a local nonprofit thrift shop promoting equity in the Ann Arbor community by supporting Ann Arbor Public Schools’ parent teacher organizations and student activities.
  • Accept donations:
    • Check their Facebook page to see if they’re accepting donations or at capacity
  • Hours:
    • Th-Sa 10:00am-6:00pm
    • Donations: Th-Sa 10:00am-5:00pm

Brown Chapel AME Church (1043 West Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti)

  • Brown Chapel AME Church offers free used clothing to those in need.
  • Visit their website or call (734) 482-7050 for more information.

Dress for Success Michigan (5361 McAuley Drive, Suite 1125 in Ypsilanti) 

  • The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. 
  • Accept donations: 
    • “Interview appropriate apparel” 
    • Jewelry 
    • Purses, briefcases, and portfolios  
  • Hours: 
    • Currently hours are by appointment only  

Emmanuel Lutheran Church Clothing Closet (201 N. River Street in Ypsilanti)

  • Donations are currently accepted by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, email [email protected]. View website for donations instructions and lists of items currently being accepted.
  • Accepts donations:
    • Bedding
    • Clothes
    • Towels
  • Hours:
    • Wednesdays 9:00-10:30am (currently outside in parking lot)

Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley Restore (6241 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor)

  • The Habitat Restore accepts donations from individuals, businesses and organizations to help keep reusable items out of landfills and provide funding to our Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley programs.
  • Accept donations:
    • Appliances
    • Furniture
    • Housewares
  • Hours:
    • Tu-Sa 10:00am-6:00pm
    • Drop-off hours Tu-Sa 10:00am-5:00pm

House by the Side of the Road (2051 S. State Street in Ann Arbor)

  • House by the Side of the Road’s purpose is to provide clothing and small household items at no charge to children and adults. These services are free to clients with limited funds for clothing, bedding, and other household essentials.
  • Accept donations:
    • Cleaning supplies
    • Clothes (men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing)
    • Cookware
  • Hours:
    •  Currently open by appointment only. Call (734) 769-4085 to schedule a time. Leave a detailed message (including a call-back number)

HouseN2Home (5361 McAuley Drive, Suite 1125 in Ypsilanti- on St. Joseph Mercy’s campus)

  • Using both donated (and occasionally purchased) furniture and household goods, HouseN2Home helps to convert a house (or apartment) into a real home – creating a space for families to thrive in. 
  • Accept donations:
    • Furniture
    • Household items
    • Check website for donation tips and needed items
      • For FURNITURE AND HOUSEHOLD DONATIONS please email [email protected] and include a picture of your donation
  • Hours:
    • Currently by appointment only. To schedule appointment, email photos of items to be donated to: [email protected]

Kiwanis Thrift Sale (100 N. Staebler Rd., Suite C in Ann Arbor- East side of Kiwanis building) 

  • The Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, and the thrift sale is a major source of funding for the organizations in the Ann Arbor, MI area 
  • Accept donations: 
    • Accessories (jewelry, purses, watches, etc.) 
    • Antiques & collectibles 
    • Canoes  
    • Cars/trucks/boats 
    • Clothes  
    • Electronics 
    • Furniture 
    • Housewares 
    • Musical instruments  
    • Small appliances 
    • Sporting goods  
    • Tools 
    • Toys  
  • Hours: 
    • Can drop off donations Saturdays from 9:00am- 12:00pm 
    • Thrift sale open Fridays & Saturdays 9:00am-1:00pm 

Nu2u Again (1311 E Michigan Ave in Saline) 

  • Proceeds from Nu2u Again are donated to disability organizations within the Saline community (i.e., Liberty Club, Saline Area Schools Special Education, etc.) and provide for a scholarship(s) for a Connecting student at Saline High School. 
  • Accept donations: 
    • Accessories (jewelry, purses, etc.) 
    • Books  
    • Clothes 
    • Furniture  
    • Home décor  
    • Housewares 
    • Toys  
  • Hours: 
    • M-F 9:00am-6:00pm 
    • Sa 9:00am-5:00pm 

The Ann Arbor Thrift Shop (3500 Washtenaw Ave., Suite K- across from Arborland) 

  • The Ann Arbor Thrift Shop provides emergency social service aid through the sale of donated gently used clothing, housewares and other items. 
  • Accept donations: 
    • Accessories (jewelry, watches, purses) 
    • Antiques and collectibles 
    • Clothes 
    • CDs & DVDs 
    • Home décor  
    • Housewares 
    • Sports equipment 
    • Donations accepted during store hours 
  • Hours: 
    • Tu, Th, F 10:00am-4:00pm 
    • Sa 10:00am-1:00pm 

The ShareHouse (5161 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor)

  • Accept donations:
    • Furniture
    • Home décor 
    • Housewares
  • Hours:
    • M-F 10:00am-5:00pm
    • Sa 9:00am-4:00pm

The Thrift Depot (19 E. Cross Street in Ypsilanti) 

  • The mission of The Thrift Depot is to support people in the Ypsilanti community experiencing homelessness. 
  • Accept donations: 
    • Clothing 
    • Books/DVDs/Board games 
    • Home décor 
    • Housewares 
  • Offer contact-free donation drop-off during store hours 
  • Hours: 
    • Tu 12:00-7:00pm 
    • W-F 10:00am-5:00pm 
    • Sa 9:00am-12:00pm 

Ypsilanti Thrift Shop (14 South Washington in downtown Ypsilanti) 

  • The Ypsilanti Thrift Shop has been serving the Ypsilanti community since 1942. Volunteers provide affordable, gently used clothing and household items and donate the funds to dozens of local organizations that provide for those in need in the area. 
  • Accept donations: 
    • Accessories (jewelry) 
    • Books/games 
    • CDs & records 
    • Clothing  
    • Home décor  
    • Housewares 
    • Small appliances  
    • Toys  
  • Donations accepted during store hours 
  • Hours: 
    • M, F 1:00-4:00pm 
    • Tu 12:00-6:00pm 
    • W, Th 10:00am-4:00pm 
    • Sa 11:00am-2:00pm  

Buy Nothing Groups 

  • Buy nothing groups offer people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors. 
  • Most of these groups are on Facebook and be found by searching “buy nothing” and the name of your city. 
  • These groups can be city-wide or hyper local and broken down by neighborhoods or even cross streets. 
  • Once you’re a member, you can make a post requesting an item (e.g., a coffee maker), post an item you want to gift, or browse other posts. 

Thrift shops offer more than a convenient place to donate used goods. Check out our blog post from August 2021 where we covered the social services provided by many thrift shops.  

Don’t forget to visit the Ahead of the Curve Resource Directory to find thrift stores in your community. 

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