THE ARC OF Southwest Washington has several drop-off locations throughout Clark County, including the main donation center at the nonprofit’s Vancouver center, pictured here, at 6511 NE 18th St., Vancouver, in Building B. The local Arc collects used clothing and other household items, then resells the items and uses the proceeds to benefit developmentally disabled people and their families in Southwest Washington.
As any mother of a child who “cleans” their room by shoving everything into the closest hidden space can attest, closets are a tricky business – they’re meant to organize our life into a tidy bundle, but closets can easily become a catch-all for clothes that no longer fit, shoes that have been destroyed by puppies, and jackets that went out of style in 1985.
Sound familiar? Then you should know that the first week of August, National Simplify Your Life Week, is the perfect time to clear out those closets and get a fresh start. Need more incentive to open that closet door and start sorting? Researchers from Princeton University and UCLA have found that having clutter around you – whether at work or at home – can overload your senses, stress you out and decrease your ability to multitask.
Convinced? Great. Now it’s time to think about what you’re going to do with all that junk that’s been hiding out at the back of your closets for a decade. Many professional organizers recommend making three piles – Keep, Donate and Discard. It’s easy to feel a sense of loss when you’re pitching clothes and other items that remind you of the past, but remember that those memories will still be there even if the coat you had on is long gone. Keep only the items that you regularly wear or that you will use during the winter or rainy season. Discard items that are beyond saving, including clothes with tears and major stains. Donate the rest.
Once you have your Donate pile ready, it’s time to consider the best place for all of those sweaters, jackets, boots and purses. One of the best places to donate your used household items and clothes is the Arc of Southwest Washington. A local nonprofit, the Arc will turn your clutter into good deeds for the area’s most disadvantaged residents.
“We serve a local special needs population and 87 percent of our income stream goes directly to client program services,” says Will Butterick, of the Arc’s business development team.
Established in 1936 by a small group of parents who wanted to improve institutional care for their developmentally disabled children, the Arc of Southwest Washington is one of the first organizations in the United States to focus its efforts on the developmentally disabled. Over the past eight decades, the local Arc has provided services to tens of thousands of people with developmental disabilities in Southwest Washington.
“That is one thing that sets us apart,” Butterick says. “All of our financial support stays here and is reinvested in the Southwest Washington area. Local donors hopefully consider this when donating or recycling.”
The Arc of Southwest Washington raises money by collecting and reselling donated clothing and other household items like small area rugs, linens, decorative items and kitchenware.
The local nonprofit makes it extremely easy for Clark County residents to donate their used clothing and household items. There are more than a dozens donation bins and drop-off sites located throughout the county, a main donation location at 6511 NE 18th St., in Vancouver, and a pick-up service that you can schedule online at http://www.arcswwa.org/schedule-a-free-donation-pickup/ or via phone at (360) 546-3158.
The Arc of Southwest Washington accepts the following donations: clean clothing of all styles and sizes; cloth items; scarves, purses, belts, shoes and boots; bed, bath and kitchen items; small area rugs; small household items such as toys and decorations; and kitchenware items such as dishes, glasses, pots and pans.
The organization will not take large appliances of any kind; mattresses and box springs; auto parts or tires; carpet or carpet backing; barbecues; lawnmowers; and non-working, small appliances or parts.
