The Ugly Duckling
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Paying It Forward

While my primary goal is to reduce the amount of items slated for our landfill and to collect items for personal use or to make someone else happy while making a bit of money, I still wish to continue helping out local community groups. With that in mind, I will occasionally donate items to groups that I know have a specific need or items that have been lingering for some time. These items will be featured on this page.

House of Friendship

House of Friendship is a charitable social service agency that annually serves over 42,000 women, men, youth and children living on low income. They focus on Supporting Healthy Lives (Addiction Services); Feeding and Assisting Those In Need (Community Services); Building Strong Families and Strong Communities (Family Services); and, Providing Shelter and Supportive Housing (Residential Services).

I DO NOT do clothing in any way, shape or form, however when I found these very gently used boots on the curb by a very upscale house, I just had to take them along. They had a tiny bit of wear on the heels and ... perfect for someone who is struggling with homelessness or low income.

Lined boots.

ReStore

I visit this store fairly often because it's a great source of inexpensive items that are being reused while benifiting a great cause. It's also a great place to which to donate. If you are doing a renovation, they will even come and remove your kitchen and bathroom for free, taking the old sinks, appliances and cabinets that you no longer want plus they'll issue you a tax receipt.

The Waterloo and Cambridge Habitat ReStores are non-profit retail outlets specializing in new and gently-used building materials, furniture, cabinetry, home accessories, and appliances.  All of their products are donated by generous individuals and companies and are sold to the public at a fraction of the retail price.  They sell to the public and the monies raised pay 100% of Habitat for Humanity Waterloo’s administrative costs. Furthermore, by shopping and donating at the ReStore you’re helping hard-working, low-income families in Waterloo Region fulfill their dream of being homeowners and help break the cycle of poverty. They build decent, affordable homes which they sell to their partner families from this community with an interest-free mortgage.
Barley Twist Chairs
Dining Table
Red Velvet Chair

Breithaupt Centre

Whenever I have items for children, I donate them to Breithaupt Centre in Kitchener. In addition to the many programs this centre offers, they accept gently used clothing and children's items for disadvantaged families for their outreach program. They were ecstatic when I dropped off the baby gates (even though I forgot to clean them).
Baby Gates
Baby Gate
Stroller

Worth a Second Look

I often donate items to Worth a Second Look, another Working Centre initiative. They are exceptional about taking most items and will also accept rags. Needless to say, this is where I take a lot of items I find. They sell used furniture and housewares and provide the community with low-cost used furniture and assorted houseware items while keeping reusable goods out of landfills and creating opportunities for employment.

The store was very happy to receive the bunk bed head and foot boards. They say they can't get enough beds in the store, so if you have some you want to donate, this is a great place to send them.

Matching Side Tables
IKEA Laver Chair
Child's Bookcase
Moveable Side Table
Hockey Sticks
Lord of the Rings Poster
Wire Caddy
Small Black Side Table
Dresser
Antique Dining Chair
Orange Ironing Board
Rocker
Delta Toddler Bed
Diego Stand
Bistro Table
Little Tikes Pooh Push Car
Trays
Knight Golf Bag
Golfmate Golf Bag
Push and Pedal Trike
Aquarium
Golf Bag
Outdoor Decoration
Garden Decoration
Chandelier
Head and Foot Boards
Small Desk
White Metal Head and Footboard
Brown Ironing Board
Little Tikes Easel
Head Board
Foot Board
CD Rack
Valet Stand
Rotating CD Rack
Fisher Price Kitchen
Autumn Decoration
End Table
Metal Rack
Bits and Bobs
Hose Cart
Reindeer
Shelving
Umbrella with stand
Rollerblades
Kick Boards
Bathroom Cabinet
Storage Case
Square Table
Garden Statue
Flower Pot
Kevin Costner Posters
Head, Foot and Side Boards
Headboard
5-Drawer Storage Bin
Drying Rack
Miscellaneous
Fencing
Lawn Chair
Dishes
Miscellaneous
Suite Rack
Bunk Bed Head and Foot Boards
Dog dish, Waste basket, Dish
Spiderman Table and Chairs
3-Drawer Sterlite Storage Bin
Outdoor Resin Wicker Chair
CD Rack

Mill Courtland Community Centre

Mill Courtland Community Centre is located in Kitchener, Ontario. It is well-known for its community programs run by three groups - Highland-Stirling Community Group, Cedar Hill Community Group and Mill-Courtland Community Association. In addition to Highland-Stirling's Weekly Neighbourhood Summer Market, this group has undertaken the huge endeavour of establishing community gardens with the goal of providing locally grown products to the local neighbourhood and to encourage and teach local citizens. Several planters and a bench were donated to assist with this endeavour.
Mini Soccer Net
Plant Pots
Flower Boxes
Flower Box
Plant Hoops
Planter
Planter

Recycle Cycles

Recycle Cycles is located in Kitchener, Ontario. It is one of the many community projects run by The Working Centre, a non-profit organization whose "main projects give people access to tools to create their own work combined with continuous ways of learning and co-operating." This great little centre provides inexpensive, refurbished bicycles and bicycle parts for sale, working space and assistance for you to work on your own bicycle, and experience for volunteers. I neglected to take photos of the first few bikes I brought in as I usually just load them up and run them over. I am certain however that more will be gifted to me and thus to them!
Bicycle
Little Girl's Bicycle
Adult Bicycle
Green Bicycle
Bike Gears

Gifted

Because sometimes I just know someone who could use something from my collection.
Office Chair
Tea Lamp
Cross Country Skis
IKEA Moppe Mini Boxes
Art Deco Dresser
Bicycle
Work Bench
Riding Zebra
Heart Shaped Mini Table
Bed Frame
Tall Shelving Unit
Small Desk
Hose Reel Cart
Sewing Table
Resin Wicker Chair

Other Great Thrift Places to Visit

MCC Thrift Stores
The New Hamburg Thrift Centre, Thrift on Kent, and the Elmira Thrift Shop are all part of Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC’s) family of thrift shops throughout North America. This shops are a Christian organization and service, focusing on meeting local needs as well as world wide needs. The MCC Thrift shop program began in Canada in the early ’70s with the first Ontario shop opening in 1974.
Proceeds from the sale of the thrift shop goods support local and global relief, development and peace projects through MCC. Although a part of the sale of goods is used to cover overhead costs, thousands of volunteer workers help to keep costs to a minimum. For more information on Mennonite Central Committee, visit www.mcc.org
Goodwill Thrift Stores
The Salvation Army Thrift Store and the Goodwill Community Store and Donation Centre are two other local thrift stores. In rating the 200 largest U.S. charities, Goodwill Industries International scored a 99 percent in fundraising efficiency. The survey reflects data available from a charity’s most recently filed IRS Form 990. The Forbes charities list aims to measure a charity’s level of fundraising efficiency for a given year as well as it charitable commitment.
The Working Centre
The Working Centre was established in the spring of 1982 as a response to unemployment and poverty in downtown Kitchener. They have a couple of superb thrift stores that are worth checking out. The Green Door is a used clothing store at 37 Market Lane, in Downtown Kitchener. They collect and sell used clothing. Worth a Second Look and Recycle Cycles are also a Working Centre initiatives.

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Photo used under Creative Commons from symphony of love