Have you gone through your family’s closets and collected a few piles of clothes to donate for recycling in Reading, PA? We at Opportunity House encourage you to donate them for resale at our retail thrift store, OppShop.
The purpose of Opportunity House is to assist the homeless population by providing 24/7 emergency shelter for more than 500 men, women, children, and Veterans in the area each year. Our residents receive:
- Three meals and a snack each day
- Access to shower facilities
- Laundry facilities
- Case management
- Hygiene and self-care products
- Assistance securing ID
- Job search and life skills training
- Medical care
- Alcohol, drug, or other applicable treatment
- Transitional and permanent housing.
The Second Street Learning Center, operating under the auspices of Opportunity House, supplies early child learning and childcare for the community’s kids aged six weeks to 13 years of age.
We also supply a reuse/recycle program via OppShop and the recycling warehouse.
The Process of Handling Your Unwanted Clothing
Fast fashion supplies low-cost clothes for the masses. It makes trends come and go faster and increases pollution. Make steps to conscientiously handle clothing so your one-and-dones don’t languish in landfills.
Sort through Your Inventory – Clothing needs to be graded as to condition before being donated. The items you bring to OppShop should be gently worn without stains, tears, holes, or pet hair.
Host a Clothing Swap or Post Online
When you have clothes in excellent condition, you can swap for the clothing you prefer or even cash. Call over friends who wear similar sizes, try out each other’s unwanted threads, and work out a swap.
Alternatively, post clothes on social media for sale to family and friends. You’d be surprised by how quickly community members will snag your garments. You’ll recoup cash, and they’ll gain nice clothes at a substantially decreased cost.
Donate to OppShop Thrift Store
If you’d rather avoid any trouble related to selling or swapping unwanted clothing, bring the items to OppShop rather than another thrift store. We’ll sort, tag, and display the donations to sell. All the proceeds from the thrift store go toward the mission of Opportunity House, and our residents have access to the store’s inventory to meet their clothing needs.
We recycle clothing through our warehouse when it doesn’t sell at OppShop. Partners nationwide help us recycle 1,000,000 pounds of donated items each year.
Bear in mind that the condition of donated items should be high. The clothing you bring us should be saleable; otherwise, we waste resources recycling the pieces.
Make an OppShop Donation
Beyond clothing, OppShop accepts a variety of product categories. Books, CDs, DVDs, household items, toys, furniture, working appliances, accessories, and decor are welcome within our inventory.
We can’t take donations of chemicals, building supplies, outdated and unworking electronics or appliances, tires, infant/toddler furniture, and any damaged items.
To donate merchandise to OppShop, book a pickup if you have large furniture items, bring a carload to the drop-off spot behind the thrift store, or find a drop-off bin at one of the locations in the community.
Recycling old clothes in Reading, PA, is a great way to indulge in trends sans guilt when choosing OppShop as a charitable and environmentally responsible way to donate.
