I have written many times about my volunteer experiences and how much I love being a volunteer at Sharing House. Actually it is the Comments for a Cause recipient this month so you know that I love all that happens at Sharing House.

From rent assistance to a Neighbor Choice Market where neighbors can actually shop in a grocery store environment to get what they will actually use in their household, the process of how things are shared is well thought out. There are so many organizations that have sprung up locally to assist those who are in crisis but I still believe that Sharing House has one of the best models for getting the help to those who need it.

One of the other areas that they help out is with clothing. A neighbor who visits can get 20 items per visit from the clothing room to help with clothing their family. The donation bins are always full and it is a never ending job to sort and prepare donations for the neighbors to take home. Many folks who come for daily showers will just choose a new outfit to change into after they shower. It is a system that works even if it makes me sad to think that there is such a need.

But with the great donations of appropriate items, there are also bags and bags of items that cannot be used. We don’t have room to store out of season clothing and some of the items just are not going to be able to be used. Those items get picked up by a company who recycles them into useable items so nothing is waisted. Often times there are donations that come in that go on the free table that the neighbors can pick though. Today when. I walked by I saw this “free” item and it made me stop and take a picture.

.

.

Now I assume that this is a sumo wrestler costume but why someone thought it would be good to donate to Sharing House is beyond me.

I know everyone has great places to donate and at this time of the year a lot of people are looking for warm clothing and coats and hats and gloves. Time to go through the closets and get rid of some stuff! Just maybe don’t donate a sumo wrestler costume.