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Cleaning house

Niles McKinley High School volunteers show some of the donations collected by postal carriers for Niles Community Services. From left are Alex Dailey, Cassie Banks, Abryanna Penn and Nyah Chalker. Tribune Chronicle photos / Nancilynn Gatta

So you cleaned out the closet, organized the garage decluttered the kitchen. You’re left with a lot of household goods you just don’t need.

Now what?

You can sell your discarded clutter at a garage sale, but you’ll end up haggling over prices with bargain hunters and still have things left after the sale.

Or you can donate these things to a local nonprofit.

“People need that stuff if you’re not going to use it. That’s a good way to recycle it,” Sister Jean Orsuto, director of Emmanuel Community Care Center in Girard, said.

Plus, the money thrift stores collect by selling your unwanted treasures furthers their causes, store staff said.

Thrift stores are popular in Trumbull County because they offer unique and practical items at a reasonable cost.

“We offer gently used household items, clothing, vintage and antique items, as well as higher-end designer clothing,” said Dawn Dunn, manager of Menagerie Thrift and Gift Shoppe and A Step Above Boutique.

Church Mouse Thrift Shoppe’s manager, Sherry Davies, said of her Newton Falls store, “We take everything and anything. We are always in need of furniture. We take kitchen items, clothing all the time, knickknacks, usable toys and games.

“The proceeds of the Menagerie support the operations of Animal Welfare League’s shelter in addition to the programs that further AWL’s mission: Rescue, rehabilitate and educate,” Dunn said.

The Salvation Army is affiliated with the Church Mouse and its work. The thrift shop, which is part of the ministerial group, helps others by using the store’s sales receipts to provide a food pantry, rent and bill payments to help those in need make it through the next month.

Some organizations take donations of items for immediate use.

Valerie Thomas, program director of Catholic Charities Regional Agency’s Trumbull County First Step Pregnancy and Family Support program, said they collect baby wipes, diapers, food, formula, new or gently-used clothing and other things essential for women, couples and families facing financial, emotional and social challenges of parenthood.

“Catholic Charities First Step program provides case management, emergency assistance and other services for low-income parents and families with children ages 0-3,” Thomas said.

Assisting all members of the family is the mission of Emmanuel Community Care Center in Girard and Niles Community Services.

“Our goal at Emmanuel Center is to help people who don’t have the resources to do what they need to do for their everyday life,” Sister Jean Orsuto, director, whose organization is under the umbrella of Humility of Mary Housing. The Emmanuel Care Center seeks to help someone set up a home.

“Dishes, pots and pans, sheets, towels, silverware, bed spreads, blankets, kids and toddler bedding, microwaves if they work, men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. We take knickknacks if they want to decorate their house for holidays, and we do take books,” Orsuto said.

The Emmanuel Community Care Center has four apartments for homeless residents with disabilities, operates the homeless crisis response program for Trumbull County, and offers a food pantry. Coleman Professional Services, Beatitude House, Catholic Charities Regional Agency of Trumbull County and a grant from the state of Ohio help them provide these services.

“If they need food, we want to help them with food. If they need clothes or household items, we want to help them with that. We want to make sure they have what they need,” she said.

“We also do the holidays — Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter. We do school supplies. We want to help people who have limited incomes or limited resources make their lives a little bit better,” Orsuto said.

Niles Community Services Director Jean Williams describes their focus as trying to meet the needs within the family. To achieve this goal, they request “anything a family could use, from food to laundry soap.

“They could use personal hygiene items and dish detergent. Food stamps do not pay for these things,” Williams said. They also need things for back to school and holiday programs.

Her organization helps residents from Niles, Mineral Ridge, Weathersfield Township and McDonald.

Some items are not accepted by the nonprofits, often because of limited space at their facilities, but sometimes, there are additional reasons.

“We don’t take computers because by the time we get them, they are outdated,” Orsuto said. “We don’t take TVs. Nobody wants heavy TVs anymore. Printers, electronic stuff don’t seem to go that much anymore, things that are not in working order or things that are stained. No car seats or cribs because of all of the recalls.”

Davies said that The Church Mouse Thrift Shoppe also rejects donations of large TVs and electronics. Also, “items can’t have any tears. They can’t be dirty. We have no way of cleaning anything.”

Williams said they cannot accept large furniture since they do not have the room, nor do they take nonworking games or puzzles without pieces.

Even with a list of things that local nonprofits will not accept, there are plenty of items that they would gladly take. So when cleaning out your closets and cupboards, program directors said, instead of throwing away unwanted usable items away, donate them. Your old stuff may help a stranger live a better life, they said.

Where to donate

This is a partial list of Trumbull County charities and nonprofits accepting donations of usable household items in good condition.

All donations can be dropped off during regular business hours or at arranged meeting times. Thrift stores and agencies request that items are not left at the entrances after hours.

• American Federation of Musicians Local 118 could use band and orchestral instruments to donate to school programs. AFM118@gmail.com

• Animal Welfare League needs Pedigree dry puppy food, Purina dry kitten food, toys, canned dog and cat food, and other items. A wish list is on their website, www.AWLRESCUEME.com.

• Big Brothers & Sisters of the Mahoning Valley accepts board games, elementary school-aged puzzles and books for kindergarten through fifth grade students. 330-545-0002.

• Church Mouse Thrift Shoppe accepts new and gently used clothing and household items to sell to support their mission of helping people. 330-872-5574.

• Emmanuel Community Care Center accepts food, clothing, household items, Thanksgiving baskets, Christmas gifts, Easter baskets and school supplies. 330-545-4301

• Emmanuel Lutheran Church Clothes Closet, Warren, accepts clothing, and household and personal care items. 330- 373-1234.

• First Presbyterian Church of Niles accepts clothing and nonperishable food items. 330-652-1471

• First Step Program of Catholic Charities Regional Agency Trumbull Office needs baby wipes, diapers, bottles and other baby and toddler necessities. 330-393-4254

• Girard Lions Club has donation boxes at Girard Free Library, Blackstone Funeral Home, Girard Post Office, Girard Multi-Generational Center, and the American Legion post.

• Howland Branch of Warren-Trumbull County Public Library has a donation box in the front entrance of the library

• Lions Clubs takes donations of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses.

• The Menagerie (Animal Welfare League) accepts new and gently used items from clothing to housewares to books and collectibles. 330-856-5174.

• Niles Community Services accepts food pantry donations, books, small appliances and cookware. 330-652-6412

• St. Vincent DePaul Society Trumbull Deanery accepts furniture in good condition and other household items in working order. Call to schedule a pick up. 330-369-4198

• St. William Church in Champion requests clothing for all ages and sizes for monthly giveaways. 330-847-8677

• Warren Family Mission needs new toys at Christmas, clothing, food and paper products. www.warrenfamilymission.com or 330-394-5437

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