Kick off the new year positively with January's Get Organized Month, a time to clean and declutter your living and workspaces. By donating to Goodwill, you not only simplify your life but also contribute to the community. Your donations help fund essential programs such as The Excel Center, a free high school for adults, and Contract Services, which employs individuals with disabilities through government contracts. Your generosity also supports the operation of Goodwill thrift stores, providing employment opportunities in the Mid-South and North Mississippi. As you get organized, here are some useful tips to consider:

Reimagine your living space: The new year is the perfect time to spruce up your home and make room for new furniture or décor that fits your current style. Think about how you want your updated space to look. Check out Pinterest, Instagram, or magazines for inspiration. You can even talk to an interior designer about how best to decorate and furnish any room to achieve your desired look without the guesswork.

Make a list and check it twice: A big part of updating and/or decluttering your space is getting organized. As you work, create a list of items you own and separate them into two columns, specifying those you want to keep and those you want to sell or donate. Make sure that if you keep an item, it has a designated spot in your home. Then, you’ll know where to put it each time you clean.

Start a keepsake collection: When updating your space, you will inevitably find items you just cannot part with because they are family heirlooms or other special items you want to hold onto. Save those special items in a keepsake box for yourself or to pass them down to another family member.

Out with the old and in with the new: So, you have a plan to update your new space, now what? What do you do with your existing furniture and other items you no longer need? That’s the easy part. You can sell your old furnishings and other items or donate them to your local Goodwill store to give them a second life. When you drop off your items, go into the store to see if there’s anything that fits your new aesthetic. You never know what you’ll find, and shopping secondhand is better for the environment and the people in our community.

Please visit here, for specifics on what we do and don’t accept and to find your nearest donation center. You can schedule a pickup for furniture and larger items through our partnership with Resupply a veteran-owned and operated company.