The Ripple Effect of Donating: Joy Beyond Decluttering

Who knew decluttering could bring so much joy? It goes well beyond the clients who find more peace at home, and beyond the Spirit & Space organizers who love helping them. It goes beyond the nonprofits and their clients who benefit from donated items. With some regularity I hear stories from people who end up with the unwanted items and find joy in unexpected ways:

• the vintage buyer who was delighted to find a prohibition-era bottle opener in the lot she purchased from a client;

• the book buyer who thought the third edition Huckleberry Finn was a pretty cool find in a box of old books;

• the teacher who said her kindergartners would love exploring the donated atlas with beautiful pictures;

• and Nathan, my “garage guy,” who bought tools and other oddments from a client’s garage. When he got home, he discovered that some of the power tools in the lot were missing either a battery or a charger, so he couldn’t use or resell them. However, he found a really neat use for them:
  “I have a few 13-year-old boys in my neighborhood who are all about building; I gave them all the cordless stuff and told them they need chargers and batteries, which they should be able to get online. They left here with 2 big bins full, very excited kids. 😂 They raid my screws and nails regularly for stuff to use on their crazy projects. I love it. I was once that kid; I always remember the kindness of my neighbors growing up. So hopefully can do that for the next generation.”

It's a good reminder that our small actions can have a bigger impact than we ever know.