Sing it with Elsa, “Let it go! Let it go!”
Is your closet about to burst because of clothes that you can only wish to still fit into? Do you find items of exes past crammed in your shelves, gathering dust? Yes, we know it’s hard to let go of things with sentimental value: your prom dress, your shirt from your first job interview, a souvenir sweater from your first trip to Hong Kong…but living in a condo requires you to maximize the area and focus on keeping only the essentials—feelings included. If you’ve run out of space, it’s time to make space by devoting time to going through your things.
Now, whether you’re the type to assess your joy a la Marie Kondo, or have a method that’s uniquely your own, you can clean up your space (and your life!) by decluttering. According to InStyle magazine, for clothes, a good criterion is that if you haven’t worn a piece of clothing for at least a year, you should retire it. Vogue suggests a simple categorization scheme that can guide you through the process swiftly and with less emotional pain: (1) keep, (2) store, and (3) stash.
Trust us, the entire endeavor can be therapeutic—cathartic, even. Be sure to take a deep breath, and look around your apartment once you’re done. Imagine the possibilities!
For the things you decide to stash, give them a new lease on life by donating your still-usable and non-perishable items to a charitable institution. This way, you hit two birds with one stone: You declutter and you build your passion for recycling and paying it forward.
Here are a few organizations that you can contact to help you make sure your donations get to people who need it the most.
SEGUNDA MANA
The Catholic Church’s Caritas Manila runs this program that collects donations in kind, whether used or unused. They sell them through different channels and the proceeds go directly to funding Caritas Manila’s programs for the poor.
Phone: (+632) 564-0205 to 562-0020 to 25
E-mail: segunda_mana@yahoo.com
PRECIOUS HERITAGE CHILDREN’S HOME
The Precious Heritage Ministries Foundation, Inc. helps orphaned, abandoned, neglected, malnourished, and less privileged children and families in the National Capital Region and Region IV-A. They have residential-based programs for children ages 0 to 12 years old and community-based programs for children from nursery to college level. Your clothes and shoes, as well as toys and educational materials will benefit these children and youth.
Phone: (+63998) 971-7176 and (+632) 736-8086
E-mail: preciousheritage@yahoo.com
OPERATION BLESSING FOUNDATION PHILIPPINES, INC.
The humanitarian arm of CBN Asia, Operation Blessing has been helping various underprivileged members of Philippine society through medical and disaster response missions, community and children’s programs, skills training and livelihood, and water and sanitation projects. You can deliver your donations directly to the OB office.
Manila: (+632) 477-7802 to 08
H&M’S GARMENT COLLECTING INITIATIVE
This global campaign by H&M is primarily driven by the clothing brand’s desire to minimize waste. Sort your used things—whether you bought them at H&M or not— according to the following categories: “Re-wear” – clothing that can be sold as secondhand clothes; “Reuse” – old clothes and textiles to be turned into other products; and “Recycle” – everything else, to be turned into textile fibers.
The H&M Foundation funds various social projects and recycling projects.
For each kilogram of textiles that H&M collects, they donate 0.02 Euros (P1) to a local charity organization. Plus, you get a 15% discount for every bag of clothing that you bring!
https://www.hm.com/ph/store-locator
VIRLANIE HOMES
The Virlanie Foundation has various residential and support programs, and outreach and sustainability projects to help abandoned, abused, exploited, neglected, and orphaned children. Their Homes are located in various places in Makati City, as well as in Dasmariñas, Cavite. They welcome donations of bed sheets, pillows, blankets, dining sets, and educational CDs.
Phone: (+632) 895-5260 and (+632) 896-2289
E-mail: outreach@virlanie.org
Double your feel-good vibes by decluttering and donating. Century Properties has developments all over Metro Manila where these charitable institutions are quite accessible, making it easier for you to build your passion for doing good. Say goodbye to hoarding!
