In a world where excessive consumerism is getting out of hand, most of us find ourselves with a lot of stuff we no longer need.
While throwing them straight to the garbage bin wouldn’t require much effort, there are plenty of organizations that can better benefit from our decluttering.
In this article, we listed 15 places to donate your old clothes (or other items) so nothing goes to waste. In this sustainable venture, you’ll also be doing a selfless act to help out those in need.
Table of Contents
- 1. (Women in Need Society) WINS Thrift Store
- 2. Goodwill Beacon Heights Thrift Store and Donation Center
- 3. MCC Thrift Store
- 4. Value Village
- 5. The Salvation Army Thrift Store
- 6. Mission Thrift Store
- 7. WorldServe Thrift Store
- 8. MEOW Charity Thrift Shop
- 9. MOMS Canada
- 10. Calgary Drop-In Centre: Free Goods & Donation Centre
- 11. Habitat For Humanity ReStore
- 12. 17th Ave Thrift Store
- 13. Good Neighbour Community Market
- 14. The Veterans Association Thrift Store
- 15. Next 2 New
1. (Women in Need Society) WINS Thrift Store
Website: https://www.winsyyc.ca
Address: 6432 Bowness Rd NW, Calgary, AB T3B 0E7, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-288-4825
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 9 AM to 6 PM
- Sunday – 10 AM to 5 PM
WINS started in 1992 and has helped the community ever since. They aim to provide ample resources to people who are having a hard time allocating necessities, while also being conscious about their environmental impact.
At WINS, you can donate an assortment of things such as furniture, clothing, and household items. If you are donating big items, they recommend dropping it off at their locations at Dover, Macleod, or other WINS donation centers.
By the way, they also accept donations in the form of cash or cars.
2. Goodwill Beacon Heights Thrift Store and Donation Center
Website: https://www.goodwill.ab.ca/
Address: 12024 Sarcee Trail NW #710, Calgary, AB T3R 0A1, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-879-9661
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 10 AM to 8 PM
- Saturday & Sunday – 10 AM to 6 PM
Goodwill focuses on helping out people with disabilities or those who lack resources to obtain a decent employment opportunity.
So people feel more inspired to donate, they created an impact calculator where you can see how much you’re helping people and the environment through your donations. We found this to be a nice touch because it shows that one person can make a difference.
They accept items like footwear, artwork, clothing, sporting equipment, toys, games, and many more. Check out their full list here. For their complete list of donation centers, check out their handy guide.
3. MCC Thrift Store
Website: https://mccthrift.com
Address: 2946 32 St NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 6J7, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-272-0282
Operating hours: Monday to Saturday – 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Donating at MCC Thrift Store would help the establishment give aid to women in different parts of the globe. Additionally, you’ll also be helping children in these areas have access to school supplies so they can go to school.
MCC also helps those families affected by unfortunate calamities that affected their country. A few of the donations they accept are clothing, toys, houseware, furniture, bedding, and such.
You can also volunteer by working at one of their thrift stores. Just fill up this form on their website and you’ll be good to go.
4. Value Village
Website: https://stores.savers.com/ab/calgary/valuevillage-thrift-store-2019.html
Address: 3405 34 St NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 6J6, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-291-3323
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 9 AM to 10 PM
- Saturday – 10 AM to 8 PM
Value Village is a popular thrift store chain that can be found all over US, Canada, and Australia. Some say they were even at the forefront to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle for a lot of communities.
Aside from clothing, you can also donate a bunch of items such as small appliances, small furniture, electronics, sporting goods, and such. Doing so would also help them donate to local nonprofits.
5. The Salvation Army Thrift Store
Website: https://www.thriftstore.ca
Address: 3508 32 Ave NE #461, Calgary, AB T1Y 6J2, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-250-2110
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 10 AM to 8 PM
- Sunday – closed
The Salvation Army Thrift Store is another popular chain that reached global recognition. They help those who don’t have access to basic necessities obtain a practical and affordable source.
They always accept items such as home decor, board games, books, mugs, activewear, and a lot more. You can always check out their website for a complete list of items they’re currently looking for.
6. Mission Thrift Store
Website: https://missionthriftstore.com
Address: 3423 26 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3E 0N3, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-246-7298
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 10 AM to 5 PM
- Saturday – 10 AM to 4 PM
- Sunday – closed
Mission Thrift Store is a Christian operation that can be found in various parts of Canada. However, they also make a global impact by financing a lot of international programs.
Like other thrift stores, they accept an assortment of things, including clothing, pet supplies, hardware, electronics, books, designer labels, and such. As long as these items are gently used, they can greatly benefit the next person.
7. WorldServe Thrift Store
Website: https://worldservethriftstore.ca/calgary-store/
Address: 105 58 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2H 0A4, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-474-4766
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 10 AM to 6 PM
- Sunday – closed
WorldServe Thrift store is a non-profit organization that has partnered with a number of outreach programs including refugee support, homelessness support, safe houses and shelters for women, and more.
They also do a lot of other projects worldwide such as helping in orphanages, church planting, humanitarian relief, and more.
If you’re thinking of donating, you can drop them off at the address above. They accept small household items, gently used clothing, dishes & kitchenware, etc.
8. MEOW Charity Thrift Shop
Website: https://meowfoundation.com/shop-meow/meow-charity-thrift-shop-calgary/
Address: 336 41 Ave NE Unit 110, Calgary, AB T2E 2N3, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-735-1015
Operating hours:
- Monday – closed
- Tuesday to Saturday – 10 AM to 5 PM
- Sunday – 10 AM to 4 PM
MEOW Charity Thrift Shop is also the mastermind behind the foundation that founded the Animal Welfare Coalition of Alberta. This means their proceeds will also contribute to rescuing cats in the local community.
If their mission calls out to you, you can donate the following items: luggages, video games, kitchenware, books, puzzles, hat, scarves, belt, and more. Consult their list for the complete items they do and don’t accept.
9. MOMS Canada
Contact details: +1 888 403 6628
MOMS Canada is a local organization that aims to help single mothers and their children.
To find MOMS Canada’s clothing drop boxes, refer to this map found on their website. You can also schedule a home pickup by filling up their form.
10. Calgary Drop-In Centre: Free Goods & Donation Centre
Website: https://calgarydropin.ca/
Address: 3640 11a St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6M7, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-264-0856
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 8 AM to 5:30 PM
Calgary Drop-In Centre is an all-around local agency which helps in different ways. This includes providing emergency shelter programs, housing resources, free goods, and more.
Here, you can donate household and personal items, but there’s also various channels to help. You can make a cash gift, volunteer, sponsor a meal, and build a kindness kit.
11. Habitat For Humanity ReStore
Website: https://www.habitatsouthernab.ca/
Address: 3465 Sunridge Way NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 7H5, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-291-6764
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 9 AM to 5 PM
Habitat for Humanity ReStore mostly accepts home decor, furniture, appliances, building materials, and other items that would help build a pleasant home.
Proceeds that they’ve allocated would go to Habitat For Humanity Southern Alberta, which helps families have their own homes.
12. 17th Ave Thrift Store
Website: https://17thavethrift.ca
Address: 2631 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3E 0A5, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-453-1305
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 10 AM to 6 PM
If you want to donate to a place whose entire mission is to help animals, you’d want to check out 17th Ave Thrift Store.
They’re a local shop that aims to give support to animal shelters and rescues. They do so by donating portions of their earnings to organizations such as MEOW Foundation, Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, and Saving Grace Animal Sanctuary.
They accept various items such as jewelry, kitchenware, small appliances, unused makeup products, clothing, purses, and more.
Aside from donating, you can also support them by shopping at their stores and sharing the good word with your friends.
13. Good Neighbour Community Market
Website: https://www.instagram.com/goodneighbouryyc
Address: 149 5 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5T1, Canada
Operating hours:
- Monday to Wednesday – closed
- Thursday to Saturday – 11 AM to 5 PM
- Sunday – 1 PM to 6 PM
Good Neighbour Community Market is a unique shop that accepts a pay-what-you-can amount for your purchases.
In fact, you can see these words plastered on their wall: take what you need, leave what you can, pay what you want. This helps a lot of people in the community who can’t afford basic needs.
Additionally, it also inspires locals to pay it forward. They’re currently accepting books, shoes, clothes, non-perishable food products, and plants.
14. The Veterans Association Thrift Store
Website: https://veteransassociation.ca
Address: 640 28 St NE #1, Calgary, AB T2A 6R3, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-367-8387
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 10 AM to 5 PM
- Sunday – closed
As you can tell from the name, The Veterans Association Thrift Store donates all of their process to programs that support the needs of veterans.
This means they help alleviate the most dire issues the veterans are facing, which are isolation, hunger, homelessness, and suicide.
At the thrift store, they’re currently looking for donations in forms of clothing, accessories, household goods, and such. You can also help in other ways like hosting a food drive or a fundraiser.
15. Next 2 New
Website: http://www.next2new.org/home.php
Address: 3811 Edmonton Trail, Calgary, AB T2E 8J9, Canada
Contact details: +1 833-448-4647
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 10 AM to 5:30 PM
- Sunday – closed
Next 2 New is currently looking for any kind of charitable donations you can offer. The best way to move forward with them is to talk to any of their staff in the store to see what’s most urgent.
A notable amount from their earrings will go to organizations that help the homeless, the elderly, victims of abuse, children with HIV/AIDS, and more.
