12-10-2014, 03:05 PM
Bumping this with a suggestion with what I've found to be my newest charity outlet...
If anyone uses Facebook (as I'm sure many of you do), search for Facebook groups in your area. I've joined a few, "Free Items Des Moines" and "Pay It Forward Des Moines" are two off the top of my head. People either post their free stuff to give away, or post looking for things they need but are unable to pay for - clothes, food, small appliances, baby stuff. As it's Christmas time there is an influx of people looking for items they can give as gifts to their children, or free Christmas decorations to make their space a little more festive. Your mileage may vary, as I've found our local ones to be extremely active with lots of asking/giving going on. I've found it to be an awesome place for people to answer calls asking for help in ways that they are able, and it's a way to give one-on-one that is more than likely not supporting any nefarious activity.
If anyone uses Facebook (as I'm sure many of you do), search for Facebook groups in your area. I've joined a few, "Free Items Des Moines" and "Pay It Forward Des Moines" are two off the top of my head. People either post their free stuff to give away, or post looking for things they need but are unable to pay for - clothes, food, small appliances, baby stuff. As it's Christmas time there is an influx of people looking for items they can give as gifts to their children, or free Christmas decorations to make their space a little more festive. Your mileage may vary, as I've found our local ones to be extremely active with lots of asking/giving going on. I've found it to be an awesome place for people to answer calls asking for help in ways that they are able, and it's a way to give one-on-one that is more than likely not supporting any nefarious activity.