GARAGE Or … Play It Again Sports buys select pieces of sporting equipment in excellent condition.Do you have a stroller, car seat, playpen, or high chair in great condition with all its parts? The Little Timmy Project wants it for The Little Mom Shop, its free pantry of baby essentials.CoolersTennis rackets, baseball bats and gloves, […]
GARAGE
Or … Play It Again Sports buys select pieces of sporting equipment in excellent condition.Do you have a stroller, car seat, playpen, or high chair in great condition with all its parts? The Little Timmy Project wants it for The Little Mom Shop, its free pantry of baby essentials.CoolersTennis rackets, baseball bats and gloves, golf clubs, and more can go to the Boys & Girls Clubs or your local YMCA.Paint and Varnishes
Never put these in the trash. Protect our environment, especially our waterways, by bringing them to ToxDrop (go here for Hamilton County).Have empty boxes been sitting stacked in a corner since you moved in? Assuming they’re still sturdy, load them up in the car, as well as bubble wrap and any other packing materials, and leave them in the care of John Boner Neighborhood Centers.The Boys & Girls Clubs will make good use of all your petite seats.Did your kids beg for a pingpong table one Christmas only to lay down their paddles by February? The Boys & Girls Clubs will give it and other game tables like foosball to someone who will enjoy them. Habitat for Humanity ReStore takes them too.Loppers, and trowels, and bulb planters, oh, bye! Noble of Indiana, which provides services for people with disabilities and their families, takes unrusted garden equipment, as does Wheeler Mission. Fertilizer is another matter and needs to go to ToxDrop (go here for Hamilton County).St. Elizabeth | Coleman Pregnancy & Adoption Services wants them in sizes 5T to 16. They will also take gently used separates that commonly serve as uniforms, such as khaki pants and white polo shirts.Not tinkling the ivories much anymore? Pianos, given their heft, can be tough to get rid of. Try listing it here.FIDO uses straw to keep outside dogs warm and make their quarters more comfortable. Just make sure the bales are dry.Beanbags/Child-Size ChairsExercise Equipment
Give your fancy clothesline … er, treadmill … to Wheeler Mission. Those, along with the other investment of every well-intentioned soul, the stationary bike, will be sold to support their outreach to people who are experiencing homelessness.Aside from the duds, other accoutrements of scouting, like patches, pins, and walking sticks, can return from whence they came: the Boy Scouts of America. They’ll come in handy for a kid who can’t afford to buy new.Out of KeyThe Boy Scouts of America is happy to take your backpacks that are in good shape. Teachers’ Treasures, a group that equips Marion County teachers and students for success, also gratefully accepts them, along with totes.Wedding GownsThe Boy Scouts of America can use mowers for their many outdoor service projects. The Boys and Girls Clubs and Habitat for Humanity ReStore will also be glad to get a working lawn mower.BicyclesCar BatteriesProm GownsRemove the ribbon from a marathon, half-marathon, or triathlon medal, or one earned by a kid, and bring it to Medals4Mettle. They’ll add a special ribbon and present it to cheer a child or adult fighting a debilitating disease.Again, the detritus of your foray into camping can go to the Boy Scouts of America. Clean coolers are also welcomed by Wheeler Mission. They’ll sell it in their store and use the proceeds to feed and shelter our neighbors.Holiday DecorationsWheelchairs
A wheelchair is an incredible gift for someone who needs one. The LifeNets Wheelchair Project will match your donation with the right recipient.Habitat for Humanity ReStore will welcome your working snow blower. It’ll play a part in the story of a grateful new homeowner.Boy Scout Uniforms and ParaphernaliaTools of all types are always in high demand at Habitat for Humanity ReStore and the Wheeler Mission store.Musical InstrumentsBrides Across America gifts gowns less than four years old to members of the military and first responders for their big day. It also accepts veils and headpieces. An especially meaningful option is to give it to Little Angel Gowns. The group uses them to make beautiful burial attire for newborns as gifts for grieving parents.It may have cost a fortune, but a prom gown is still a hard sell. So make someone’s night instead by passing it on to The Gifted Gown. They’ll get it to someone who couldn’t afford to buy new. (They take tuxes too.)Your trusty old bike can provide solid transportation for someone who really needs it. Freewheelin’ Community Bikes will either refurbish it or break it down for parts. Either way, you know it’ll serve a great purpose.Dog Houses and Crates
Attic
Lawn MowersWarm someone’s home and heart by donating it to Habitat for Humanity ReStore.Sports EquipmentCamping EquipmentToysDonate it to Thrifty Threads, the thrift store operated by The Julian Center in partnership with the National Council of Jewish Women. People who have little or no personal belongings after escaping abusive relationships are invited to “shop” there. Excess items are sold to the public to help fund the center’s programs. Another worthy benefactor of your used-once Samsonite set is Wheeler Mission. The nonprofit runs a store, the proceeds of which provide meals and shelter to those experiencing homelessness. Straightaway, cull the crummy pictures and all the duplicate prints. Then take another look through the box. If you have Indiana-related photos of a notable place, person, or event, the Indiana State Library may be interested in those for its photograph collection. Email Victoria Duncan, rare books and manuscripts supervisor.Board Games and PuzzlesAir Conditioners
Habitat for Humanity ReStore is on the lookout for working air conditioners to sell. The stores keep usable goods out of the waste stream while at the same time funding Habitat’s well-known community improvement work.Clean and complete toys are welcome at Noble of Indiana, which serves people with disabilities and their families, and Teachers’ Treasures.Straw BalesOld PhotosSnow BlowersTraining crates and plastic and igloo-style dog houses, especially for bigger breeds, allow FIDO to help dog owners care for their canines.LuggageMedalsSwim Goggles
Like-new swim goggles can be donated to Thrifty Threads.Or … If you only used it once and it cost a pretty penny, you can always see what Play It Again Sports will pay you for it.Your local YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs are always glad to get their hands on classic entertainment for their programs. But double check the box first. Missing pieces are no fun for anyone.Or … If you happen to have an expensive, virtually new instrument, you may want to see what it’ll fetch at Arthur’s Music Store.The logic: A folding table always comes in handy. And it’s on sale! The result: Three gathering dust in the garage. Donate the extras to the Boys and Girls Clubs.School UniformsBackpacks and Tote BagsSpace HeatersBaby GearCribs and Toddler BedsDid your kid swear they’d practice the violin but were only stringing you along? Give it to the Boys & Girls Clubs. Forgotten instruments are music to their ears. If you don’t mind shipping it, the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a worthy organization dedicated to furthering music education in public schools, is another option to consider.Gardening ToolsWood Doors, Windows, and FlooringDon’t get rid of a fire extinguisher unless you’ve bought a new one to replace it. Then you should bring your expired or nonfunctioning one down to to ToxDrop (go here for Hamilton County) for proper disposal.Recycle them at Interstate Batteries.Fire ExtinguishersRecycle old string lights through the HolidayLEDs program, or if you’re catching one of the last days of Christmas at the Zoo, you can drop them in the special bin at the front entrance instead. The Julian Center takes ornaments and other types of decorations. Find this year’s drop-off locations for natural Christmas trees here.ToolsFolding Tables and ChairsThe donation-based Madison Street Salvage is eager to receive good-quality, older wood doors (along with the hardware), windows, and flooring for their historic restoration projects in and around Franklin.Game TablesIt can be hard to find a recipient for a used crib or toddler bed owing to potential safety concerns. But The Julian Center, devoted to giving survivors of domestic abuse a safe place to heal, takes them as long as they were manufactured after July 2011.Was that one rainy weekend enough of the outdoor life for you? Boy Scouts of America—no surprise there—is well-suited to relieve you of the soggy memories. Consider giving sleeping bags to The PourHouse. They always need them for their clients.Packing MaterialOr … End of Life Electronics Midwest will recycle it for you.
