Spring Cleaning? Where to Donate the Stuff

Spring cleaning has come around again, and with it, people finding items they don’t have much use for anymore around the house. If you want your items to go toward a charitable cause, we’ve put together a list of places that are eager to get them.

Capt. Steve Staneart, adult rehabilitation center administrator with the Salvation Army of Milwaukee County, the local arm of the nonprofit charity organization, encouraged anyone donating to only give materials that are in usable condition.

“If it doesn’t look like something you would use, don’t donate it,” Staneart said.

The City of Milwaukee maintains a list of places where you can donate gently used furniture and household items. You can also use the Earth911 database to find more options for recyclable items.

The Salvation Army

To contact the Salvation Army of Milwaukee County for donations, call 414-276-4316. For information about pickup options, including furniture, call 800 SA-TRUCK or 800-728-7825.

Staneart said you can drop off items at any of the following locations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

• Adult Rehabilitation Center – 324 N. Jackson St.
• Citadel Corps Worship and Community Center – 4129 W. Villard Ave.
• Cold Spring Church and Community Center – 2900 W. Coldspring Rd., Greenfield
• Oak Creek Centennial Church and Community Center – 8853 S. Howell Ave., Oak Creek
• West Corps Worship and Community Center – 1645 N. 25th St.
• The Salvation Army Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Division Administration – 11315 W. Watertown Plank Rd., Wauwatosa

The full list of locations can be found on the Salvation Army’s website.

Habitat for Humanity ReStores

Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that focuses on affordable housing for families, accepts donations for its ReStore locations across the city. ReStores are resale shops that fund the organization’s efforts around the city.

The organization offers free pickup for larger items such as furniture and appliances. It also accepts household items such as tools and building materials. For a full list of items, visit the ReStore website.

To contact a ReStore, call 414-257-9078. To schedule a pickup online, visit milwaukeerestore.org.

ReStore locations are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. There are three locations in the Milwaukee area:

• Franklin – 6939 S. Riverwood Blvd.
• Wauwatosa – 3015 N. 114th St.
• Greenfield – 4150 S. 108th St.

Meta House

Meta House, a local organization for women and families that provides substance abuse services, accepts donations for small household items. It does not accept donations for clothing.

Meta House is looking for smaller and practical items, such as lamps and small appliances, including toasters or blenders. Before donating, contact development and volunteer specialist Kate Rabe at 414-977-5823 or at krabe@metahouse.org.

Carryn Sami, development director at Meta House, said the organization also accepts donations for child care items, such as baby wipes and baby formula. It is located at 2625 N. Weil St.

Purple Heart Service Foundation

The Purple Heart Service Foundation, an organization that serves veterans, accepts donations at its Milwaukee location, 5380 S. 13th St. The location is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for small item donations. It takes clothing, linen, décor and other household products in sellable condition. The foundation does not take cabinets, shelving or electronics.

For information about furniture and large item pickup and what small items you can donate, call 414-281-4281.

Pickups occur on a schedule based on your location, rather than by appointment. Call to find out when pickups will be occurring again in your area. Pickups are generally separated by four to six weeks.

Goodwill

Goodwill, a nonprofit chain that provides services for job seekers and operates retail stores, accepts donations of many household items, including clothing, tools and electronics. For a full list of accepted items, visit their website.

Items can be dropped off at Goodwill stores around the area on Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To find the nearest Goodwill location, visit the organization’s Store Locator.

Pickup services are not offered. Attendants at the stores will be available to answer questions and help donors unload their cars.

Goodwill does not accept donations of furniture or other items that might be difficult to recycle or that contain hazardous materials, such as cathode-ray tube televisions or monitors and large appliances. A full list of unaccepted materials can be found on their website.

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee is a nonprofit religious organization that accepts donations of household items, kitchen items, clothing and furniture. It can be reached at 414-462-7863; pickups can be scheduled at this number on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Pickups will need to be set up a week to two weeks in advance and will only be eligible for large items such as a sofa, kitchen set or dresser. Donors can also drop off items at the following St. Vincent de Paul thrift store locations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday:

• 4476 S. 108th St., Greendale – 414-377-9077
• 2320 W. Lincoln Ave. – 414-672-2040

Spring cleaning? Here’s where you can donate household items. was originally published by the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.