The whole idea of minimalism has become quite a popular concept in this day and age. Having tons of stuff doesn’t quite have the appeal that it used to. In fact, if you do have a lot of materials things, there are so many articles, blogs, bill boards, commercials and books that encourage you to get rid of these things. If you live in the same place for any period of time, it’s easy to end up collecting things over time. It may not even be that you went out and spent tons of money on it. It’s just a process of collecting things. Before you know it, your house is cluttered and your storage areas are full. When there are so many military families and other people in need, it’s almost a little selfish to hold on to all of these items that we barely use. Here are a few things that you can do if you are interested in helping families in need.
Charitable Donations
There are many organizations that help out military families and the homeless and other people in need. If you have some gently used items, donate them. Look into the different charity organizations in your area and find out which one most closely fits your belief systems and values. If you believe i what the charity is doing and is about, it will motivate you to donate more regularly. Military families aren’t the only ones in need. There are far too many people in America alone that are struggling to survive from one day to the next. Clothes in particular are a difficult thing for a lot of under privileged families to get their hands on. Try going through your closet and putting everything that you don’t wear or doesn’t fit or haven’t worn for months or even forgot that you had into a box and take it down to your local charity or have them pick it up. Not only will you be helping a good cause but you’ll feel a weight lifted off of your own shoulders.
Yard Sale
If you need to make a little money yourself then holding a yard sale could be mutually beneficial. Sometimes needy families will prefer to shop at thrift stores and yard sales for the things they need instead of taking the hand out from the government or charities. These people are the ones that are desperately trying to stay afloat as well as maintain their dignity. It can be difficult to be in this position but being able to pay for what you have, even if it’s just a couple of dollars can restore dignity and hope. Many people want to earn everything they have so having a yard sale would be helpful to these kinds of people.
Giveaways
If you go through your house and find that you have a lot of things that you don’t need you could use them as giveaways. Pick a family that you know is in need of certain things and give them to them yourself. If you think they might be embarrassed then box it up and just leave it on their porch or patio as an anonymous gift. They will be able to be grateful without feeling ashamed that someone had to help them out like that.
Recycling
While recycling isn’t going to help a family in need directly, it helps every family on the planet. It’s a way of investing in the future generations.
Helping others, be it military families or your own family is a great thing to do. No one likes to be in a place where they have to reach out for assistance but knowing that there is going to be someone to answer that call is sometimes what can give a hurting family hope. If you have never been in this situation then it’s hard for you to imagine the pain that they are going through. All they want to do is provide for those that are relying on them. Do you part and help out these precious families with all you can. You may not have time to volunteer or money to donate but your clothes donations or cheap sales could be just the thing that someone was looking for.
