I promised a bit more on Give Back Box, and since today was Packaging Day it’s a good day to talk about it.
Essentially, Give Back Box is a program usually sponsored by a partner for-profit company (currently appears to be Simon, which is what the link will take you to) which allows you to donate used goods to organizations that resell them for charitable purposes. You don’t have to be a shopper at Simon, whatever that is, I assume a mid-range clothing store; I went through the process today and it didn’t ask for a receipt or anything.
Give Back Box generates for you a free printable postage label, pre-addressed to whatever nonprofit is currently accepting donations of goods. It used to be in Minneapolis for me, now it’s in Alabama, I don’t know why. You fill a box with gently used goods you want to donate, tape it shut, add the label, and drop it at UPS. There are no fees; all you have to give them is your email address and zip code, and I’ve never been spammed from them. You can even request a donation receipt for tax purposes. It’s a great way to donate goods, especially if you don’t have easy access to a donation drop or live in an area where the local nonprofit will do pickups.
So today for NaClYoHo I moved all the boxes that have been sitting in a pile in my front hall into the living room, and I’ve been making sure they’re full and taping them shut in anticipation of mailing them off. So as not to overload the UPS driver, I’ll send one or two a day until they’re gone, but it will be a huge relief to have them out of the house.
I was going to listen to a couple of podcasts while I did all the prep and started taping the boxes shut, but Mum wanted to do a call about the holidays and I get restless on phone calls, so I basically did all the work while we discussed Thanksgiving plans and she gave me the latest in the saga of home renovations she and my stepfather are attempting.
Also some over-door hooks that I’d ordered arrived today, so now my towel hangs slightly more elegantly on the bathroom door than it used to, hooray, and with them came some 1/8″ 20x12 boards that I ordered so that I could re-floor the bathroom cabinet, which has a badly bowed floor that has been annoying me for years. Now my cabinet has a level floor again, and the cats are excited that there are new smells in their favorite hidey-place.
