‘Alternative organizations to donate your gently used items’

Furniture Bank is saddened to learn of the difficulties at Goodwill and our thoughts go out to all those affected. This news is especially hard as Furniture Bank and other community agencies try to expand their services in support of the incoming Syrian families and other families and individuals in need of settlement supports.

With Goodwill closing stores and donation centres across Southern Ontario including the GTA, we have put together a list of other charities and organizations where you will be able to donate the gently used items you no longer need.

Furniture Bank stands ready to do whatever we can to help those in need access free furniture, donated to us from the community.
‘Clothing’

• The Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline accepts gently used clothing, cloth based items, bedding, footwear, and more. Click here for a full list of items that they accept – you may pick up or drop off your items in locations across Ontario.
• The New Mom Project redistributes gently used baby clothes and other baby gear to families in need. The Project is proud to support Syrian refugee families as they begin a new life in Toronto and single mothers affected by poverty. They accept your old baby essential such as seasonal clothing (from 0 – 4 years), small toys, cribs, strollers, and carriers. To donate e-mail nmpdonate@gmail.com to get updates on drop off locations.
• Dress for Success Toronto provides women and men from across the GTA with business appropriate attire to wear to job interviews and during their first few weeks at work. People can donate their old business clothing on Tuesdays between 10am and 4pm. They are located on the 3rd floor of the Walmer Road Baptist Church and Community Centre, at 188 Lowther Ave.
• New Circles is a clothing bank that works with referring agencies to redistribute clothes to families in need. They are also actively supporting Syrian refugee families in need of clothing. They frequently have a shortage of clothing for boys sizes 4 – 16, clothing for young men and plus sizes for women. Donations are accepted at their location on Hobson Avenue in Toronto (Hobson Avenue and Bartley Drive) during regular operating hours. Please note: they are currently at capacity and will be re-opening Feb 8. 2016. For more information on donating clothing to New Circles, click here.
• Salvation Army accepts clothing of all kinds to resell in their thrift shops. Click here to find a thrift store location and/or drop off bin near you.

‘Electronics’

• Free Geek, a fellow social enterprise, offers both a drop off location in downtown Toronto, and a paid pickup service. Free Geek Toronto accepts your old computers, laptops, printers and more to reduce the environmental impact of electronic waste.
• ReBOOT Canada refurbishes your old computers, laptops, printers, etc. and redistributes to charities and nonprofits. They accept dropoffs at their Scarborough and Peterborough locations. To schedule a pickup click here or call 416 534 6017 Ext 1. ReBOOT collects a $50 (plus HST) pick up fee for residential pick ups and $100 (plus HST) for commercial pick ups. Some items may also require the collection of a disposal fee.

‘Books and textbooks’ 

• Children’s Book Bank is always looking for gently used children’s books that your kids have enjoyed, for others to start new adventures with. The Children’s Book Bank of Regent Park area of Toronto offers a drop off location for books ages 0 – 12 years old. You may also use their drop off location at 350 Berkeley Street, Toronto, ON, M5A 2X5 anytime during their hours of operation.
• Toronto Public Library accepts donations of books, CD’s and DVD’s that can be sold in their “Book Ends” stores. They must be in either English or French, in very good condition, and less than 5 years old. They do not accept donations of magazines, encyclopedias, or textbooks. Donations are accepted during branch open hours.
• S.T.E.L.L.A.A. is helping to change education in many schools and libraries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. You can donate post secondary textbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, medical and law textbooks, academic journals and more. Drop off centres and locations are located throughout the GTA for items that can fit in 10 boxes and under. If you have more boxes and live in the GTA, please contact info@stellaa.org to arrange a pick-up.

‘Furniture, housewares and major appliances’
4 walls alone don’t make a home – furniture plays a powerful, albeit silent, role in all our lives. We are all indebted to the use of furniture to live fulfilling lives – just try studying for an exam, resting after a hard day’s work, preparing a meal, or raising a family. Without furniture, even mundane tasks are near impossible.

Furniture Banks across Canada are committed to ensuring all individuals and families transitioning out of displacement and homelessness are given the best possible chance to succeed in their new lives – through a furnished home. You may donate your unwanted, gently used items of furniture to the following Furniture Banks in Ontario:

• Furniture Bank (Toronto) (thats us!)
• Mississauga Furniture Bank
• Niagara Furniture Bank
• JRCC (Vaughan)
• Matthew House Ottawa

Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a great option for donating major appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, washing machines, etc. The items they accept are resold at the store level with proceeds supporting Habitat for Humanity home builds. They even have a volunteer pickup service for selected items. Click here to find a location near you and click here to set up a product donation.