Goodwill-River Oaks Attended Donation Center

If you are going to drop off to Goodwill, this location is excellent. Staff is always super courteous. If they see you pulling up and getting things out of your vehicle, they are always quick to assist you. It never takes more than a minute or two to drop off my donations, get my receipt, and be on my way. If you go North on Shepherd out of the driveway after your dropoff, the wait will be the longest part of your transaction.

I know, I know, the time to go through your possessions is before you move, not after you move, but we didn’t have a chance prior to our cross-​country move and some of the stuff that ended up packed appeared, under additional review, to just be clutter for us. Some of it just didn’t fit in the new house.
After filling a big box with things we no longer needed, but that were in good shape, I decided to find a Goodwill. I’d worked with Goodwill as a teacher (my design students did their Rhode Island website and promotional materials), and we toured their RI facilities. They’re a good organization– doing a lot with employment training, feeding the hungry, etc.
Anyway, this is just a sorting facility, not a store, and the goal is to drop off your goods (with help if you want it) and get out of their quickly with a tax deduction form (again, if you want it). Quick, painless, and much better than dumping stuff someone else could use. I love browsing thrift stores myself. As my mom was quite fond of saying– «One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.»
She should’ve seen how fast anything I put out by our dumpster in Chicago got taken– including the scary Christmas angel statue I was gifted this year.

Here’s the rationale of a pack rat, «I’m not really a ‘pack rat,’ but I just never know when I’ll need to use something again. Why would I want to waste money when I can just store it under my bed, in my one junk closet, or at my mom’s.» Here is what this particular pack rat meditates on about once a year, «All this stuff does is collect dust and create clutter. You have never worn that top in the ten years you’ve owned it! Think you’re going to wear it next week?»
Once every two years, I usually spend an entire weekend going through clutter and old clothes putting a donations pile (s) together. After sitting in the corner of a room taking up even more space for a couple of weeks, I’ll put it in my car and drive to the donation site.
I love this place. There are only three parking spaces, but that is all they need. It’s a zippy process. The second you begin to turn into one of their spaces (they share a lot with a dry cleaners and an empty storefront), an employee is running out to your car with a cart. The two of you load the cart with your bags of clothes and old lamps. The person asks if you need a receipt. Five seconds later, you’re back in your car trying to figure out how to back out on Shepherd.
They make it so easy to donate and in essence, recycle.