With a dearth of material goods, spring cleaning may leave you with piles of stuff you don't really need or want. Or, you might just want to give away your things to a good cause. Here's a listing of where to donate.
Groups accepting a variety of material goods are at the bottom of the page. For opportunities of organizations with which to donate your time, see Volunteer Opportunities. To find out what to do with goods that are hazardous or otherwise unusable, see Waste Disposal.
Art Supplies
- To dispose of unusable and toxic art supplies, do not throw them in the garbage. The toxins can leach out of the landfill and into ground water aquifers. To find out how/where to dispose of these items, visit Waste Disposal.
Bicycles
- The Bike Church accepts donations of bicycles and parts.
Blood
- Okay, so if you come across a bag of blood in your closet during your annual spring cleaning, you should probably call the police or something. But if you want to donate your own blood to help save lives, the Santa Cruz County Red Cross organizes blood drives throughout the year at locations across the county. You can also visit their website for more information.
Books and Magazines
- The Santa Cruz Public Library accepts donations of books and magazines at each branch. The books are sold at the libraries (usually for between $.50 and $1 a piece) by the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Additional books are sold at large book sales throughout the year, where you can buy books by the pound. Donated magazines are made available for free to library patrons.
Cars, Boats, and other Vehicles
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County accepts tax-deductible donations of vehicles, whether running or not. More about this national program, called Cars for Kid's Sake, is available by calling (toll-free) 1-800-710-9145.
Food
- The Second Harvest Food Bank distributes food to needy individuals and families throughout Santa Cruz County. Click here to see a list of drop-off locations for food.
General Goods (Clothing, household items, etc.)
- Front Street Thrift
- Goodwill a thrift store chain which runs programs for work training and job advancement.
- ReStore -building materials, and more.
- Salvation Army
- Freecycle
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