It has finally quit raining, the sun is shining, and the neighborhood garage sales are in full swing. The fact that the last three weekends have been wet and cloudy probably adds to the excitement for this warmer and drier weekend. No matter how successful a garage sale is, however, there are almost always left over items. And while you may not have had a garage sale customer who fell in love with all of the items that you were willing to part with, that does not mean that your items would not be of value to someone else. For this reason, you and two of your neighbors came up with a great idea. Instead of boxing up the unsold items and dragging them back into your house you decided to offer a service that many in your neighborhood took advantage of. Within a few hours of the garage sales wrapping up, several of you volunteered to drive through the neighborhood and collect remaining items so that they could be given as donations for veterans organizations in the community.
The garage sale pick up project was such a hit that one year when the weather did not cooperate, the majority of the home owners in your neighborhood were still willing to donate their unsold items, even though very few things had sold because of poor attendance. The donations for veterans is now an important part of the community service that your neighborhood is known for. In fact, now that your neighbors know where to donate household items they frequently do so. No longer a once a year weekend thought, it seems your neighbors are now much more generous in their thinking when it comes to making donations for veterans and other high need groups in your city.
Are You doing Your Part to Make a Difference in the Lives of Others?
On a day when the internet and morning news programs are abuzz with the Republican vote to approve a new healthcare plan, it is easy to be worried, to be wistful, and to be without hope. It is, however, precisely times like these when individuals need to look locally and ponder personally what they can do to make a difference. Can you organize your neighborhood to make regular donations to the charities in your community who are most in need? Can you offer a pick up service to pick up used clothing donations yourself and deliver them to the locations that are helping to get these valuable resources to organizations that make a difference in your community?
Finding a way to make an impact in your community can make the political scene of today seem less frightening and less threatening. Big changes start in the smallest of corners, and making your neighbors aware of ways that they can contribute to the greater good can be your gift. Your way of avoiding the temptation to join in the shouting matches about politics and policy that often lead to nothing more than stress, anxiety, and anger.

• How often do you make donations for veterans and other groups in need?
• Americans recycle or donate only 15% of their used clothing.
• Various efforts to remind people about donating fall short. Unfortunately, Americans send 10.5 million tons of clothing to landfills every single year.
• Estimates indicate that 45% of recycled clothing is worn as secondhand clothing.






• Having a way to make a positive impact can help you find a way to turn your nervous energy and political anger into something productive. Knowing that you can help those in your community can help you keep a more positive and hopeful attitude even in the most difficult of times.
• One to two season climates offer people an easy way to know what clothes you are not usually wearing. If you have not worn an item in six months, it is pretty simple, it is time to let it go.
• Political news and the arguing that goes on in the House and the Senate can seem disheartening, even frightening.
• Every decision to use energies to make the differences that you can means you are willing to avoid the temptation to join in the fighting and frustration. Instead, make a plan to use your energy to help someone locally.