I'm moving to be with my mom so I'm packing up stuff here and I realised that I had about 4 winter jackets, 8 wool/knit sweaters, a thick scarf and two pairs of gloves that I don't use. I decided that instead of packing it into boxes for another few years, I'd pack it up and bring it to a shelter. I added 3 bras (!), 3 pair of panties (unused thankyouverymuch) and 2 pairs of new socks.

I'm willing to bet that most of you have LOTS of winter clothes (not only) that you don't use and now is the time to share it. Don't just drop it off, I challenge the Org members to seek PEOPLE out and give it to them. This is about PEOPLE, who aren't as fortunate as we are. Did you buy a multiple pack of socks last time you went shopping and haven't used it all yet? Remember that winter jacket you bought 5 years ago and haven't used in a couple of those? The sweater, the t-shirt, the...whatever.

Post here if you're up to it, both what you plan to give and when you've done it. I challenge you, Org!!!!

// Jen

Whoa, that would take a lot of energy to find a homeless person who fits and wants my discarded clothing. But I admire your goal. I do have a big bag of clothes to get rid of. Here in Berkeley they have large metal green boxes on the street where people can drive by and donate their clothes anytime of day.

I brought bags and bags of things to goodwill when I moved last month which included clothes, dishes, some furnishings, etc. I'm as cleaned out as I'm going to get now.

But great stuff!

I dunno if its a good idea to seek people out.
but i give stuff to shelters all the time.
i do have several coats i never wear that i keep forgetting to take out.

Once in a while we get homeless persons on our door step asking for food and money. Late at night! Sometimes they are just con-artists.
But the reason they come around is because people in the area (neighbors), and possibly the previous owners of my home had given them money before.

Once a neighbor gave this homeless lady some money , then a couple days later the lady came back with a lawnchair and a blanket and sat in his driveway until he came home.

I remember giving outer wear to a local shelter....4 leather coats, were included in the boxes...unique colors, red, tan, colbalt and orange. Don't you know that these ghetto assed social workers that worked at the shelter kept and wore the same coats I gave?! One of them named Dianne even had the nerve to joke and laugh about the red coat being too nice to give to those "homeless skanks" and kept all of the leathers for herself!

But I still give....I just make sure to hand the donations to a resident on the weekends so that the greedy social workers don't hog all the good stuff...this includes kitchen wear, linens, new pillows, bath products and lots of canned goods.

paintedlady said:

most ive encountered are as slimy and crooked as other law enforcement workers

horatio said:

The honest and caring ones are far outnumbered by the bad ones....they should screen these people so that the bad ones don't ruin it for the many that really depend on the help in their time of crisis.

paintedlady said:

OMG! There are honest and caring social workers? STFU!!!

This is my favorite charity http://www.shcstheheart.org/flash.html
When I was cleaning out my closets earlier this year donated over 8 bags of clothes. I also gave shoes that I didn't wear anymore and were still in good shape. I made a pact with myself that when I bought something new something old had to go. I also got a few friends to do this. Most recently I was helping a friend move and we not only donated her stuff but her husband and kids stuff as well. We included used but still in good condition toys too.

Every yr - for the past 20 or more

I (we) clean out the closets and house late in Nov and donate unused items to the shelters here - also to the animal shelters

Mach said:

what kind of stuff do you give animal shelters?

horatio said:

blankets - towels and rags - the random toy and leash and several times during the yr we donate big bags of pet foods

Wow, some of you are cold hearted a**holes - too much effort? Good idea??? WTF. I hope homelessness comes YOUR way some day and people will think it's too much of an effort or a bad idea to give you clothes when you're cold in the winter. Dickwads.

Yeah, I wouldn't stand on my block doing it either (no homeless ppl in my neighbourhood, no good places to hang and no shelters) but I WILL go to town and seek out people - y'all think they won't be grateful?

I still challenge you to MEET these people - most of you/us could be homeless in a heartbeat and we don't even stop to think about it.

Stupid Org burp
[Edited 11/14/07 11:25am]

Didn't you type at the top that you brought your stuff to a shelter and now you're yelling at people for not doing what you told them to?

Teacher said:

Honestly, I don't feel comfortable walking up to homeless people and giving them things personally. I hope you can respect that. Many of the homeless people here are severely mentally ill and can be found under highways where it is very unsafe. Plus, I don't think my stuff is all that valuable, even to them. I do have an old comforter though.

On the other hand, I donate hours upon hours of my time by working directly with both senior citizens and teenagers. So don't accuse me of being a cold hearted dickwad.

OMG when I read the thread title I thought it was a sick joke and laughed out loud then thought Prince.org really has hit rock bottom.

Teacher said:

There are 4 shelters in my neighborhood, two are for battered women and one is a teen shelter.

Most homeless people are women with children, young and old.

These women live with their children, and the shelters look like regular 3-6 family homes. They look like that so that these homeless people can maintain some dignity and keep their family life as close to "normal" as they possibly can.

If you ever met and really got to know a homeless woman, you would soon quickly realize that most of these homeless women are just like you and me, just in a bad spot right now. These women DO NOT LIKE TO FEEL LIKE A CHARITY CASE. They still have their pride and mostly want to feel like they can belong as a productive member of society. So please do not confuse drug addicts with homeless women, being poor doesn't mean they need to be coddled. Check yourself Teacher, if you need to feel better about yourself by throwing yourself in someone's private struggles, do it.... just be careful not to offend those you seek to "help". Homeless women still have a job to raise their own children, they still have families and friends.

Trust me the have plenty of people to treat them in condescending ways, don't be one of them.

This is coming from a person who is best friends with a wonderful mother of 4 who was a pastor of a church, age 43 and homeless for 2 years. She finally found an affordable apartment last year, and has worked almost every day in her life until she had a stroke about 3 years ago.

Be careful of who you call cold hearted dickwads....you sound like a self-righteous idiot.



almost forgot....the point is to give, it's not about how or to whom exactly.
Some of these people want privacy, cause this is new and very painful for them.
Your cause is a good one and I applaud any effort of generosity, but don't you dare judge others in how they give...you have no right.
[Edited 11/14/07 19:12pm]
[Edited 11/14/07 20:55pm]

CarrieMpls said:

I'm giving it to people at the shelter, not to the shelter itself. I could spend hours walking the city looking for homeless women without finding them because I don't know where they are. I know they are outside the shelter every day waiting for it to open. I can spare a few hours talking to them, getting to know them.



And tho whoever else had something to say, I think people would rather actually talk to somebody who won't treat them like a charity case but like PEOPLE. I want to know these people, I want to remember them and I'd like them to remember ME. I want to say hi to them if I see them in the street, I want to buy them a cup of coffee if I meet them. You know, like you would with a friend.

Teacher, hey lover.

2freaky4church1 said:

Sweetie! How are you doing?

Fine baby, but I doubt Sweden has homeless..ol

a few weeks ago i finally cleaned out my piles/bags of clothes and hair accessories and i went down to the op shop and gave it all 2 them.


felt amamzing, helping others!!!!!

I've been clearing out a lot of things and donating them.
My daughter has outgrown almost everything she owns so there's a lot right there, IF I can get her to part with them. She gets sentimental about the ones she really likes. She wants Igopogo to make her some new clothes so she better give her old ones away. He made some to- die- for pants for her birthday so now he's her favorite designer.
I'm also clearing out a lot of my kitchen thins. I just don't need all this stuff.

2freaky4church1 said:

Really? Well you're dead wrong. I'll freely admit the politicians tried denying we have homeless children for YEARS but they've finally had to admit that we do. We have many homeless, the fucking social democrats closed down half of Sweden's mental care in the 90's and that's one part of it - people who just can't take care of themselves or don't want to be alone. Togetherness on the streets is better than being alone in an empty apartment.
I could talk about this for hours but somebody stole my soap box

missmad said:

That's the spirit!

Shelly: Will it help if you explain to her that there are children who don't have clothes at all to wear? I know children can be very egotistical though

Having your own designer, pffffft:

This is all about doing something for your community and doing something that is karmically correct,shelters are not the safest place in the world for the homeless, but they are there to keep people from dying and keeping them warm in the winter.If i had enough to give i would we had thrown 2 big bags of clothes in the donation box for the goodwill charity. and i hope that someone is actually happy and Mindful for what was given.