We all have a few items we hold dear to our hearts, but as that list grows, so does the clutter in your home. Parting with treasured belongings is no easy task, but with this guide, you can utilize several ways to make donating sentimental items easier.It’s time to decide what you can part with as you clean up your home.

What Makes Something Special?

As you hold the items in your hands, ask yourself why they’re so special to you. Maybe it’s a shirt your child bought for you after weeks of saving their allowance. You may have an old vase a friend gave you on your birthday years ago. Understanding what makes the item so special helps you determine whether parting with it is your best option.

Giving to charity is important. However, if parting with the belongings in question would make you sad or filled with regret, then hold onto them. Consider putting them on display in your home so everyone can see them. If it’s a piece of clothing, wear it more often so everyone can see this special belonging.

Evaluate Items Several Times

You can also simplify donating sentimental items by giving yourself more time to evaluate everything. Sometimes, you may have mixed feelings about an item. It’s special and has various fond memories attached to it, but you may not miss it if it’s gone. Set these items off to the side so you can come back to them another day. Jot down the pros and cons of keeping the belonging versus donating it.

Ask for Help

Asking a friend or household member to help can ease the process and give you a separate set of ideas. Someone else may help you determine that specific objects aren’t as sentimental as you first believed. For example, every one of your child’s toys holds memories, but that doesn’t mean they have emotional value; their favorite toy may.

Why Donate These Items?

Some of us may wonder why you should donate something that has sentimental value. For some people, every object holds a memory, but you can’t hold onto everything you own—this builds clutter. By instead asking yourself what’s truly sentimental, you can donate the less treasured items to help people in need.

Donate Here

Project B Green is a for-profit organization that monetizes  shoes, household items, and clothing charity donations on behalf of our partnered local nonprofits and organizations. With your help, we can continue our mission to make the community a better place for everyone.