Spring Clean for a Furniture Drive

This Great Idea comes from Align MN’s Furniture+Drive post. Thank you, Align – for your amazing work with people experiencing homelessness and this opportunity to engage in a real way.

It’s Spring Cleaning Season!

Align invites us to:

‘Give your stuff a new life!’

[For some incentive, please read Rev. Michael Piazza’s, You Can’t Take It with You post.

Each spring Align hosts a Furniture+ Drive.

This year’s will look a little different: Instead of having one day and one place to drop off items, we encourage everyone to do a little spring cleaning and donate gently used but still usable items to the locations and ministries below.

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Location: Diamond Lake Lutheran’s Welcome Home Program

Items: Furniture in good condition:

  • Love seats (not full-size sofas)
  • Chairs for living room (recliner, lounge, comfy)
  • Kitchen/dining room tables (small to medium)
  • Floor or table lamps (no glass or ceramic)
  • Dining room chairs
  • End tables
  • Nightstands
  • Dressers

Drop off: Contact John Pedersen, john.pedersen@dllc.org, to arrange drop off

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Location: Plymouth Congregational Drop-In

Items: Drop In Bingo is a very popular monthly activity, and they need Bingo prizes! Please consider donating one or more items from the list below:

  • $5 or $10 gift cards to Aldi, Walgreens, etc.
  • Regular-size Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion, Toothpaste
  • Pretty notebooks or journals, or sketchbook
  • Coloring books
  • Colored pencil set
  • Socks
  • Gloves
  • Small plants
  • Picture frames
  • Candles, candleholders
  • Small holiday/seasonal decor

Drop off: Plymouth Congregational Church Front Desk, 1919 Lasalle Ave (enter through Door 1)

Tuesday-Friday, 8:30am-4pm, Sunday 8:30am-1pm

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Location: Central Lutheran’s Free Store and St Olaf’s Clothing Shelf

Items: Household Goods & Clothing

Pots, pans, skillets, knives, cutting boards, eating utensils, dishes, small appliances (coffee makers, toasters, blenders). towels, washcloths, blankets, sheets, pillows (new pillows only, please). Please mark the size of the bedding- king, queen, full twin. Adult backpacks are especially needed on an ongoing basis, and suitcases (roller preferred but non-roller accepted). Men’s (especially jeans), women’s, and children’s clothing (in season).

Drop off:

Central Lutheran- 333 South 12th Street, Minneapolis, MN

Donations accepted from 4th Ave loading dock, Sunday – Thursday, 9am – 3pm. Press the call button and someone will come to help you.

 

St. Olaf- 215 S 18th St, Minneapolis MN 55402

Monday through Friday, 7am-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 6:30am-5pm. No need to call in advance.

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Location: St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores

Items: Good furniture items, mattresses which have had little use are less than 10 years old.

Drop off: All donations are subject to inspection.

Minneapolis location- 2939 12th Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 722-7882

Donation hours- M-F 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-3:30pm 

OR

Schedule a pick up, two pick up options available

Standard (done by St Vincent employees) 651.602.0478

Priority (fast pick up, fees charged) run by our partner ReSupply which provides enhanced services to pick up your St Vincent de Paul donations. Text (857) 342-4937 or email donorsupport@resupplyme.com.

Find all the information at https://www.svdpmpls.org/scheduleapickup.html


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What a great intergenerational event!

Spring clean at home.

Spring clean in the church.

Collect good stuff that people need.

Gather at church for some theological grounding:

  • Read Matthew 8:18-22
  • Wonder: what does it mean for us that Jesus – whom we follow as disciples – had nowhere to lay his head?
    • Unpack the difference between ‘charity’ (considering ‘how’ ‘we’ can meet someone else’s needs; giving from a place of power and privilege) and ‘justice’ (considering ‘why’ people are left without housing; working to end the need for charity)
  • Ponder: While our furniture/other items has been asked for, and given joyfully, is this the extent of what following Jesus means for us, today?
  • Share furniture/etc. with a drop-off site near you.
  • Consider joining Align in their legislative work by calling Governor Walz about the House Budget. Learn about pertinent budget elements and key talking points here (scroll down).