Cleveland Ohio — When people got stuck at home during the pandemic, they decluttered. The result is a tsunami of used clothes, sofas and china sets headed to local thrift stores.
Goodwill, the Salvation Army and other organizations say they have seen a marked increase in donations amid the coronavirus. Much of the influx will be sold in resale shops, with the proceeds funding programs that address homelessness, addiction, the elderly and other issues. Some organizations provide donated items free to those in need.
Donations to the Salvation Army rose about 30% over last year, said Major Van Wirth, administrator for business at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Cleveland.
“People were choosing to spring clean during that time,” he said. “We’re grateful to them.”
While the Salvation Army closed its resale stores during the state’s COVID-19 shut-down, its trucks continued making donation pick-ups. People also continued dropping off boxes at the closed stores, Wirth said.
It was tough finding room to store all of the incoming items, since Salvation Army’s seven area resale stores weren’t selling their inventory. Now its stores are open, but the backlog of donated items is still there, Wirth said.
Goodwill’s stores and donation centers also closed during Ohio’s stay-at-home orders, but some donation centers re-opened before the stores to handle the large volume of donations pouring in, said Maureen Ater, vice president of marketing and development for Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio.
Instead of bringing in a few bags or boxes of items., donors were bringing in much, much more, Ater said in an email. Now the volume of donations is back to normal.
Pre-pandemic, a typical donation to the Cleveland Furniture Bank was five to six pieces; now 35 to 40 pieces of furniture is the new normal, said Thomas Gaghan, executive director of the Cleveland Furniture Bank.
One donation was more than 170 pieces of furniture. “We cleaned out a house completely,” Gaghan said. Donations of gently used clothes are up, as well.
The furniture bank collects donations of household items and gives them free of charge to help families moving into a new home after a fire or flood, or a period of homelessness. It partners with about 160 Northeast Ohio organizations.
Gaghan hopes the furniture bank continues to receive large donations because there is a backlog of families who needed help but couldn’t get it while the organization was closed. The furniture bank serves more than 100 families a month, and the average client selects 16 pieces of furniture.
“Keep us in mind,” when decluttering, Gaghan said.
Where to donate unneeded goods
Below is a partial list of resale shops and organizations in the region that accept donations of household goods. Check the organization’s website for a full list of what is and isn’t accepted. Before donating, check clothing and other items to be sure they are in good condition and free of stains, rips or cracks.
AMVETS
Items accepted: Clothing, shoes, bedding (no mattresses), draperies, curtains, housewares, linens, radios and small appliances.
Pick-Up: Pick-ups are limited. Fill out the request form on the website or call 1-866-388-0046.
How your donation helps: Items are sold to local thrift stores, and the proceeds help Amvets provide scholarships, social activities and more for veterans & their families.
Cleveland Furniture Bank
Items accepted: furniture, appliances, dishes and household items.
Pick-up or drop-off: Call 216-220-8752 to schedule a pickup. There is a charge for the pick-up service to cover some of the costs of the pick-up service.
Donations accepted at the Cleveland Furniture Bank Thrift Store, 13360 Smith Rd., Cleveland. Hours are 9-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
How your donation helps: Provides basic home furnishings to families in need.
Common Threads Thrift Store
Items accepted: High quality thrift items, including clothing, shoes, accessories, small appliances, kitchen items, home décor, exercise and outdoor items, furniture and bed and bath items.
Drop-off: The donation center, 22049 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park, is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Sunday noon-5:30 p.m.
How your donation helps: Supports Building Hope in the City, a faith-based nonprofit in Cleveland that helps urban children, families, refugees and those who’ve been marginalized by life.
Donation Town
Helps people find local charities that will pick up donations for free. Schedule pick-ups through the Donation Town website.
Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio
Items accepted: Clothing, small appliances, furniture, clothing and more.
Pick-up or drop-off: Goodwill has 22 store-based donation centers and nine attended donation centers throughout most of Northeast Ohio, where goods can be dropped off. Home pick-up has been discontinued.
How your donation helps: Goodwill sells donated items in its retail stores or on shopgoodwill.com. The revenue provides employment training and job placement services.
Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity ReStores
Items accepted: Appliances, plumbing, cabinets, doors, home furnishings, hardware, lumber, ceiling fans, tools, roofing and more.
Pick-up: Schedule via phone at 216-429-3631 or online. Donated items must be left outside, in a garage, or vacant structure; staff will not enter occupied dwellings.
How your donation helps: Supports mission of helping low-income families become homeowners.
Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland
Items accepted: Clothes, books, household items, chairs, couches and more.
Pick-up or drop-off: Both are available; see the website for details.
How your donation helps:
The Salvation Army has seven resale stores in Northeast Ohio. Revenue goes to the organization’s Adult Rehabilitation Center, which offers free programs to address homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction. Donated clothes are provided free to those who need them.
Twice Blessed Free Store
Items accepted: Summer clothing and household items.
Pick-up or drop-off: Donations accepted Monday to Thursday from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rocky River United Methodist Church, 6515 Bridge Ave. No Sunday drop-off donations accepted.
How your donation helps: The outreach ministry of Rocky River United Methodist Church provides free clothes, toiletries and household items to needy families.
Vietnam Veterans of America
Items accepted: Clothing and accessories, shoes, baby items, books, toys, bikes, stereos, radios, portable TVs, bedding and draperies, curtains, kitchenware, small furniture, small appliances, tools, jewelry and more.
Pick-up or drop-off: Both are available. Pick-ups are free. See the website or call 1-800-535-3834.
How your donation helps: Donations are sold to privately owned thrift stores and the organization gets 70% of the proceeds. Vietnam Veterans of America advocates for issues important to veterans, including quality health care.
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