I have seen this scenario a hundred times: you have a pile of stuff you want to get rid of, but you don’t have a plan. So, the pile doesn’t move and just becomes part of your décor. Sounds familiar? Let me help!

As a professional home organizer, I take my clients’ donations away after a session if they wish. But for everyone else in San Antonio, Texas, here are some resources where you can drop off your donations. Leave a comment if you have a favorite that I forgot! (Please do not suggest charities that only accept monetary donations or brand-new items straight from their wish list, as that is not the point of this post. This is for in-kind donations of gently used items.)

I have separated the sections below by theme; feel free to use the Find function (Ctrl + F ) to find a specific item, or just scroll through to read. There are options for donating, selling, or recycling responsibly.

Consider donating to women’s/children’s shelters, homeless shelters or other charities, such as…

- Haven for Hope (items for adults and children, household goods)

- Family Violence Prevention Services (clothes for women and babies, diapers, toiletries, household items)

- Child Safe (diapers, wipes, school supplies, gift cards)

- Margaret’s Place (toiletries, diapers, clothes, school supplies, board games)

- Children Matter (toys, art supplies, household items)

- The Hope Center (food, clothing, household goods)

- San Antonio Ministries (toiletries, non-perishable snacks)

- I Support the Girls (bras, period products)

- The Strong Foundation (homeless families need all sorts of items, including appliances)

- VetStrong (formerly homeless veterans needs furniture and household goods, including mattresses!)

- Homeless shelters in San Antonio (clothes, toiletries, food)

- Boysville Auxiliary Thrift Store is a non-profit (accepts clothes and household items; can pick up furniture)

- Zappos will let you print a free shipping label for gently used shoes and clothes; items are donated to Soles4Souls or recycled

- Your local church or community center might be interested as well

For more specific items:

- Animal shelters (pet items, pet food, old towels and blankets)

- Food pantries for non-perishables

- Dress for Success (work clothes)

- The Bra Recyclers (will donate or recycle bras)

- Brides Across America (wedding dresses up to 3 years old)

- Project MEND (medical equipment)

- Street2Feet (gently used athletic shoes, socks, and apparel)

- Lions Club or most optometrists (used eyeglasses, including prescription eyewear)

- Local daycares, schools, and libraries (toys, books, change of clothes)

- Local first responders (stuffed animals)

- National Crayon Recycle Program (crayons)

- LEGO® Replay (LEGO® bricks)

- The Book Rescuers (books, including textbooks!)

- Nationwide Trophy Recycling Program (trophies)

- Coinstar kiosks, choose your charity (coins, including foreign currency to UNICEF Change for Good)

- Spare Parts (arts and craft supplies)

- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (donate gift cards, even partially used)

- Resupply will pick up furniture

- World Computer Exchange (old computers)

- Computers With Causes (old computers and equipment)

- The Tech Take Back Box (electronics)

- Habitat for Humanity (some appliances, furniture, home décor, light fixtures, electronics, rugs, patio furniture, etc.)

- Freecycle (post what you have, or search for “ISO [your item]”)

For household goods and clothes and with possible pickup:

- Goodwill

- The Salvation Army

- Arms of Hope

- AMVETS

- Charity Clothing Pickup

- Give Back Box (to mail in small items)

- Or use Donation Town to schedule a pick-up with a local charity

To make a bit of extra cash in person:

- Yard sale

- Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, community Facebook group

- Craigslist

- Half-Price Books (books, magazines, music, movies, board games)

- Clothes Mentor (seasonal women’s clothes)

- Too Good to Be Threw (high-end fashion and furniture)

- H&M (any clothes or even fabric for recycling – you receive a coupon for your next purchase)

- DSW will give gently used shoes to Soles 4 Souls; you get 50 points per pair

- Bricks & Minifigs (LEGO®)

- My Comic Shop buyer associates (comic books)

To make a bit of extra cash online:

- eBay.com (just about anything)

- Gazelle.com (cellphones, tablets)

- Decluttr (tech and movies)

- Amazon Trade-in (tech, cell phones, gaming)

- ThredUp (women and children’s clothes)

- The Real Real (designer clothes and accessories)

- The TakeBack Bag for recycling clothes

- Replacements.com buys (and sells) china, crystal, and silverware

To pay for a pick-up:

- 1-800-GOT-JUNK (my clients get a 10% discount!)

Resources for proper disposal/recycling:

- Batteries Plus (batteries, light bulbs, small electronics)

- Best Buy (batteries, electronics)

- Staples (office supplies, tech, etc.)

- Drugstores (expired medications)

- Office Depot (drop-off shredding) or Shred Nations (mobile shredding)

- If you live within city limits, recycling centers will take household hazardous waste and bulk waste

- Earth 911 (hazardous materials, etc.)

- Terracycle (hazardous materials, etc., but also various packaging such as cosmetics or cleaning products)

- Green Disk (electronic media recycling)

- Target (annual car seat trade-in event; you get 20% off towards buying select baby gear)

- In San Antonio, Goodwill recycles fabric too!

Hi there! I’m Amélie, a professional home organizer in San Antonio, Texas. I help people like you declutter their home, organize their belongings, and simplify their life. I love cleaning out a closet and removing a carload of donations from a home! My goal is to help you create a functional space that will make your life easier and more peaceful.

Interested? Check out my personalized services or book your complimentary consultation!