How to Give Back While Tackling a Big Move
The Pew Research Center found that one in five Americans have either relocated due to COVID or know somebody who did. I am one of them! The cross country move was talked about preCOVID as a possible change of pace but we decided on it during Quarantine. With both my fiance and I working full-time in social service and raising our toddler, we found the new normal really difficult. I know that we were not alone in this experience! I hate moving. I also know I am not alone in this.
It really is incredible how much you can pack into a small east-coast apartment. We filled the closets once we had our baby and found ourselves filling even more during the early days of COVID when we were worried about running out of essentials.
When you are moving long-distance, every beloved belonging costs more money so I found myself wanting to get down to the essentials. We did our research and collected moving quotes in the range of $2,500 - $6,500 which was way over our budget so we started selling larger items like our dining set, mirrors, coffee table, and couch. Thanks to DUMBO Moving, we got the move down to $2,100 so it was time to get packing. While packing, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what to get rid of and what to take with you so here’s a look into how I approached the move.
FOOD: I was able to fill five tote bags with nonperishable foods that I had no idea what to do with. After posting on Instagram for ideas, I was directed toward the local community fridges. The UCCommunityFridge was super close to me so I dropped them off the next morning and felt like I wasn’t wasting precious food and spices. Find out if you have a Community Fridge near you. If not, try contacting your local shelters!
CLOTHING: Thanks to Kathy Morse who works sat NJ Reentry, I was made aware the women they work with who are returning home from incarceration often have very little clothing. She generously offered to collect any clothing donations so I bagged up the clothes and got my fiance to do the same. All the clothing was in great condition, just didn’t fit or had been sitting in the closet unused. If you’re looking to donate clothing, reach out to your local reentry or veteran programs or call the local domestic violence shelters.
BABY CLOTHES: My little guy got big pretty quickly. Victor and I also love buying new outfits for him with each new season so his closet was full. We’re moving to California so the seasons are not as drastic as they are on the East Coast. I had two friends who were expecting babies so I was able to pass the clothes, the diaper pail, and the mini crib to them. In the past, I have donated baby clothes to BNDL which is a platform helping parents circulate second-hand clothing. They are wonderful so I highly recommend donating extra baby clothing to them.
TOILETRIES: I found a ton of unopened toiletries in my linen closet. Feminine Hygiene products, loofahs, face sheet masks, exfoliating towels, lotions, and other things I must have bought in bulk. One of my favorite local accounts, @LocalityGiveBack, hosted a collection event just for these essentials and donated back to community programs.
FURNITURE: We listed some of our furniture on LetGo and Facebook Marketplace to see if we could earn a little extra cash for the move. Some of the pieces didn’t sell but were in great condition so we donated them to Just Human…..obviously! We were able to donate two shoe cabinets, one sofa, two oscillating fans, and a queen-size bed frame. Everything was cleaned and disassembled for easy collection