The 2023 Ditch

Did you know January 17^th is National Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day?

Statistics show if you’ve made a New Year’s resolution, it is more than likely you will break it by January 17^th.  To be honest, I thought the date for breaking resolutions would have been sooner. In fact, only nine percent actually keep their resolutions throughout the year.

Since breaking resolutions seems to be what everyone typically does, National Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day was born. But this is a great way to turn a negative into a positive. Ditching stuff is a great resolution. The idea of donating your used clothing and goods is what Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley (GESMV) is built on. And this is a great avenue for you to be able to stick to a resolution, feel good about yourself and help someone else.

If you’re anything like me, your closet is stuffed. And there’s a good chance, pushed in the back are a few items with tags still on them. Face it, if you forgot you had them, you probably don’t need them. Not only do you not need them, but there’s a good chance they don’t even fit anymore.

When this happens, why not donate your stuff to a great cause like GESMV?

As an employee of the organization, I’ve witnessed over the years how much they do to give a hand up by helping people with disabilities and other needs. There are more than 50 services and programs to assist people to be become self-sufficient.

All the services and programs GESMV provides are important. But I do have a few favorites….

Job services help participants find a job; it is incredibly significant. No one can be self-sufficient without a job. And for those participants who are able and want to work, the staff who work in job services, give it their all to try and help them achieve the goal of employment. I’m a prime example of that program. I received their help and have been successfully working for more than a decade.

Another GESMV service that is one of my favorites is the Safety Car Seats Program. This program allows families, meeting income requirements, to receive brand new car seats for their children.  The program also has a mandatory safety class that each person must take to know how to install the seat correctly.

I love how GESMV’s Vision Services offers an array of services for those who are blind or have low vision. Everything from teaching how to travel independently to trying out new technology to enhance their independence.

And I can’t forget GESMV’s Adult Day Services which assists people with disabilities to get-out in the community. As you know, I’m all about that full inclusion!

If these are not enough reasons for you to consider donating, check out GESMV’s website for so many more.

https://gesmv.org/shop-and-donate/

As you start 20­23 let me encourage you to get your ditch on! Not only will your home look better, but you’ll feel better because you’re donating to a great cause and helping so many. Plus, you can buy more stuff just in case you needed another reason. With this I say, Ditch It!