We blinked and suddenly spring was on our doorstep. It's official on Saturday and though old man winter could still give us little a kick for good measure, you know, as Canadians, most of us have already fired up the barbecue and driven around at least once with the car windows down - if only for a block before realizing it's not actually that warm.
What comes next is the inevitable shedding of the heavy, winter layers and the hunt for your spring clothing in the depths of your basement or attic. Oftentimes, this is followed by the discovery of a wardrobe that no longer agrees with you, six months after having departed from it. Clothes don't fit, your style has changed or perhaps you've finally decided it's just time to let go.When you arrive at this point this spring, consider taking a small additional step - one that could help a person in need and your community in a very big way.Donate your items to Goodwill. Though to you, the lifespan of that jacket or that pair of shoes may have come to an end, in the hands of Goodwill, it's just begun its journey.This journey may lead your item to one of Goodwill's community stores where it may be sold, at an affordable price, and become part of the $25 million in annual revenue the organization makes and directs right back into creating jobs for people who face barriers to regular employment. Through REACH (Real Employment to Achieve Community Health), Goodwill provides paid jobs for people with disabilities, disadvantaged youth, the chronically unemployed and newcomers to Canada. Think that's as far as your donated goods will go? Think again.What many people don't know is that any items not sold in the community stores, go on to a ReUse Centre, like the one on Progress Avenue in Scarborough, where they are offered for resale in bulk. Textiles and cardboard are baled and sold, while shoes, bags, books and other goods are sold in bulk, often to outside buyers who ship them to developing countries. Through this cycle 16,000 tons of reusable goods are diverted from landfill annually.Goodwill is celebrating 75 years in Toronto this year. And unlike for-profit thrift shops, it's a 90 per cent sustainable social enterprise with a mandate to re-sell, re-use and re-employ. It's a cycle that works, but relies on the support of people like you.So if you find yourself in the midst of some spring cleaning in the upcoming weeks, think twice about what you do with your unwanted goods. They have a new purpose waiting for them at your local Goodwill.