A Guide to Donating Your Stuff

by Lauren Boyle

Once the kids are back in school, the house is yours again—and unfortunately, so is all that stuff you’ve been meaning to toss.

Never fear, MakeItBetter.net has your go-to-guide for getting rid of junk with ease. And it’s all for a good cause!

They’ll pick your stuff up

White Elephant Resale Shop
Pick-ups: Call 773-883-6184
e-mail whiteel@childrensmemorial.org
Drop-off: 234 W. Westminster Rd., Lake Forest

The White Elephant Shop, a fundraising project of the Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Founders Board, carries a wide variety of merchandise for sale. Clothing, household items, furniture, books, musical instruments, jewelry, china and silver, toys, artwork, bicycles and exercise equipment welcome.

Amvets

Pick-ups: Call 708-388-7800

Items accepted include clothing, kitchen and bathroom furniture, small appliances, household goods, toys, games, antiques, antiques and jewelry. No microwaves, console TVs, steel desks or sofas.

Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries
Pick-ups: Call 773-989-5647, e-mail irim@irim.org ($25 donation requested)
Drop off: 4753 N. Broadway, Ste. 401, Chicago

Donations go to help refugees resettling in Chicago. All donations must be clean and usable. IRIM needs CTA cards, gift cards (Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Payless Shoes, IKEA, Jewel/Osco, Dominick’s, Gas Cards), new bedding sets (twin and queen sizes—sets include comforter, flat sheet, fitted sheet, and pillow cases), televisions, furniture, clock radios, small stereos and CD players, small home appliances, infant formula, disposable diapers, baby supplies, collapsible shopping carts, window air conditioning units, fabric, sewing notions, sewing machines and women’s clothing patterns.

Salvation Army
Pick-ups: Call 773-477-1300
Drop off: 528 Kedzie, Evanston, 847-869-3033, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Items accepted: Clean usable clothing, (children’s and adult), toys, furniture, household items, appliances, vacuums, bicycles, lawn and garden equipment, exercise equipment. Pick up service is for furniture, televisions, larger items, clothing and household items. Smaller items should be dropped off during business hours.

Appliance Pick-up Service
Pick-up: Call 773-276-0599,
Visit their Web site: www.pickupservice.com ($30 an item); Monday – Saturday from 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Items accepted include old and non-working appliances (for parts), e.g., washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, freezers and TVs. Will pick up from outside or inside your house. Call for more information.

Drop off your stuff

Connections for the Homeless
607 Lake, Evanston
847-475-7070, ext. 100
Open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

High priority needs: $5 gift cards to Target, CVS, Payless Shoes, Jewel, Dominick’s, Food 4 Less; phone cards; CTA passes; new socks and underwear; canned food containing meat; toothpaste; deodorant; razors; and shaving cream. Other items accepted: canned goods, bottled water, diapers, feminine hygiene products, clothing, household appliances in good repair. Call for drop-off appointment.

 

Central Evanston Child Care
2014 Dempster St., Evanston
847-869-3456
Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (call first)

Collects and distributes clothing to children enrolled in District 65 schools. Children must apply through their school’s health clerk. Items accepted: arts and crafts supplies, computer paper, children’s books, bicycles, and yarn.

E.S.C.C.A. Evanston School Children Clothing Association
Drop box: West side of the Joseph E. Hill Education Center, 1500 McDaniel Ave., Evanston.
Call your local District 65 school’s main office for additional locations.
847-859-8018 (voicemail hotline)

Items accepted: children and adults clothing–clean and usable.
Evanston Arts Camp
927 Noyes St., Evanston
847-448-8260
Open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
High priority items: 80 Gig Hard Drive, Mac G3 or G4 for library, storage shelving, lockers. Other items accepted: fabric, yarn, paint, paint brushes and rollers, arts and crafts supplies, wood scraps, cardboard boxes from appliances, buttons, costumes, old clothes, costume jewelry, shirts for smocks, old sheets. For a complete list, visit their “How Can You Support the EAC?” page.

 

The Evanston Ecology Center
2024 McCormick, Evanston
847-448-8256
Open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Items accepted: nature magazines, nature related items, clay pots, dried flowers (fall only), cardboard paper rolls, arts and crafts supplies, buttons, yarn, fabric, garden tools, seeds, household batteries.

 

Family Focus/Our Place
2010 Dewey, Evanston
847-475-7570 (call first, use answering machine)
Open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Items accepted: arts and crafts supplies, fabric, baby furniture, infant and adult clothing and appliances. Items must be in good condition.

 

McGaw YMCA Child Care Center
1420 Maple, Evanston
847-475-8580
Open Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Items accepted: colored and office paper for children’s art classes. NOTE: The YMCA Child Care Center is located one block south of the YMCA.

 

Rice Children’s Center
1101 Washington St., Evanston
847-866-3800
Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Items Accepted: arts and crafts supplies, kid videos, audio-visual equipment, office supplies. Call first.

 

Ridgeville Park District
908 Seward, Evanston
847-869-5640
Open Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Accepts remnant fabrics, paint, arts and crafts supplies, ribbons, costume jewelry, costumes or old clothes for drama, old shirts for smocks, old sheets, paint brushes, children’s riding toys, toys and games, art pieces, and fireproof locking file cabinets.

 

Second Hand Tunes
800 Dempster St., Evanston
847-491-1690
Open daily 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Items accepted: records, tapes and compact discs. Bring in items at least one hour before closing on weekdays.

 

Lenscrafters & Lions’ Clubs
Open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Items accepted: Used eyeglasses for third world countries. Lenscrafters collects for Lions Clubs.

Old Orchard, Skokie
847-679-3880

Fashion Square
9450 Skokie Blvd., Skokie
847-677-5322

Lincolnwood Town Center

Touhy in Lincolnwood
847-675-8637

Village Treasure House
1460 Paddock Dr., Northbrook
847-832-1030 (by appointment only)
Donate gently used furniture, accessories, and make money! The Village Treasure House is a unique consignment shop of fine furniture and more. Co-signers receive 50 percent of the selling price and all other proceeds support local agencies serving women and families in crisis.

 

Arroyave Academy of Languages
1787 St. Johns Avenue, Highland Park
847-433-3190
Open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Items accepted: foreign language books, audio cassettes, CDs, video cassettes, magazines and newspapers. Cassette tape recorders, video recorders in good condition.

 

Freecycle Network

Recycling isn’t just for bottles and cans! Freecycle Network is a grassroots nonprofit made up of 4,594 groups with 5,759,000 members across the globe, giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns. Membership is free. The Wilmette Illinois Freecycle Group has 1063 active members.

Automobiles to Charities

American Lung Association
800-583-4425
www.givecar.org

Make A Wish Foundation
888-969-WISH

National Kidney Foundation
888-319-2277
www.kidney.org

Evanston Township High School Auto Shop
847-424-7660

You must get car to ETHS and provide title and key. They will send tax letter.

More Information on Donating Stuff:

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