Gifting Items during Downsizing
A hard part of downsizing—or of any organization project—is deciding what to do with the items you no longer need.
The options are these — toss them or gift them. Some things you encounter in your sorting will clearly need to go to the trash bin. Perhaps they are pens that no longer work or other unfixable items.
Most items, though, can be gifted or donated, and I encourage you to do this. Not only can it help you part with well-loved items, but it can also be a blessing to someone else.
Gifting
Generally, an order exists for how to give away your belongings.
1. Family (sons, daughters, grandchildren, adult siblings and even nephews and nieces)
2. Friends
3. Charities
Offer your chosen possessions to people in this order. See if your children would like to hang on to the couch you decided to part with. Present a special plate from your mom to your siblings. It might fill a need or hold a memory for them as well.
Then check with your friends to see if any of them wants or could use the items you are passing on.
Donating
Try to donate to a local charity the remaining items from your downsizing process. What are some good places to donate to? Some good suggestions include women’s shelters, thrift
stores or any local charity that may benefit from your items.
Giving your belongings to one of these places will ensure they get to someone who needs them. It will simplify your life while allowing you to be a blessing to others!
Storytelling
Particularly for sentimental items, consider this strategy I often practice.
Find someone—family or friend—who will value the thing you are giving away. Then, as you present the item to them, tell them the story behind it. Take the memory that gives the item its sentimental value and pass it on to someone else.
I did this once for a special casserole dish I owned. As I gave it to a girl I had mentored, I told her about my Aunt Eva, who had always made a bean casserole in the dish. The container always reminded me of her and by sharing the story with my friend, I got to pass that memory on.
My friend would remember Aunt Eva when she used the dish, and even if she re-gifted the dish, telling the story helped me release it.
Many good places exist for donating your no-longer-needed belongings. As you go through the downsizing process, be open to gifting your things to others who want or need them. This will help you accomplish your goal of a simpler life in your new home!
