First let me apologize to the month of April. The first post of every month is supposed to offer suggestions for a monthly service focus. In January, we were inspired to make a start fresh. February was all about love. March service ideas came in bracket style. But here it is a full week into the month and I haven’t given April the focus she deserves.
April sparks spring cleaning
April is the first full month of spring. And spring inspires many people to think about refreshing their spaces and purging clutter. Spring cleaning is also a perfect time to gather donations that can serve others in your community. But deciding which items you’re ready to part with is a complex process. I won’t pretend that a simple list of questions will lead you to an easy answer. Below are 10 questions that should help you think about the potential donation from multiple angles. Consider each question, but don’t get hung up on needing the perfect answer. Through the process alone you may find yourself drawn to holding on to it or being ready to let it serve someone else.
Should you keep it or donate it?
- Would I give this item away to a friend that kept admiring it?
- If someone stole this item from me, how long would it take to notice it was gone?
- If I didn’t have this exact item, would I to buy it again within the next year?
- If I didn’t have this item, is there something else I’d use in its place?
- If someone offered me fair market value for this item would I sell it to them?
- Would holding on to this item for one more year reduce its quality as a donation?
- How many items like this do I think is enough? (i.e. How many T-shirts? Pens? Coffee mugs?)
- How do I feel when I imagine this item meeting a need for someone else?
- Might someone else find more joy in this item than I do?
- After answering these questions do I feel more inspired to keep this item or donate it?