Clean Up Clutter for a Good Cause: Big Brother Big Sister Foundation

By TeenLife Newsletter Staff

Steve Beck, the Executive Director of Big Brother Big Sister Foundation (BBBS), wants something very simple from you. "Don’t worry,” he says with a laugh, "I’m not here to ask you for money. I just want your clothes.” BBBS is a nonprofit organization that helps Massachusetts residents clean up clutter for a good cause by picking up donations of clothes, small household items, and books to sell in bulk to local thrift stores. Proceeds support eight different mentoring organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay and Big Sister Association of Greater Boston.

Registering online to schedule a pickup is easy, says Maria Sullivan of BBBS, and also helps keep costs low and makes the service convenient for donors: "We pick up right at your house for free.” The online registration is just one way that BBBS is being creative to maximize the good they can do.  

BBBS is unique, Sullivan says, because it’s "a way to give back to the community without having to open your wallet.” The benefit doesn’t end there, either; donating clothes instead of throwing them away reduces landfill waste. And if you don’t want to schedule a pickup, you can drop off your donation at an attended donation station. These drop-off sites are staffed by tenants of local Massachusetts Clubhouses, an organization that provides rehabilitative and employment services for adults with mental illness or disability. A new program at BBBS also recycles small electronics for a fee – although, says Sullivan, you should check municipal guidelines first, since the service may be free in your area. "We’re usually a lot cheaper,” she remarks, "and it’s for a good cause.”

Although BBBS is, according to Beck, "one of the fastest-growing” organizations of its kind, there are a few restrictions on what they accept: no furniture or mattresses, simply because the overhead is too high and prevents BBBS from getting money back to the people they want to help. They’re always in particular need of clean, usable clothing, especially jeans, hardcover books, and computers. BBBS also takes donations of used vehicles, says Sullivan, and it’s all tax-deductible. 

"Our busy season is September,” Beck notes, as students and adults alike are cleaning out their closets after back-to-school shopping. And for families that are getting new computers, BBBS will recycle your computer for free with the donation of a bag of clothes through the end of August. If students want to get involved in a bigger way, Beck "would love for them to organize clothing drives within their schools.”

Both Beck and Sullivan emphasize their gratefulness to current and past donors. BBBS is having its "greatest year ever,” according to Beck. "People have been extremely generous. I want to thank everybody because it means we’re giving out more money to help more kids.” 

Schedule a donation with Big Brother Big Sister Foundation here.

Contact BBBS at (774) 776-7200, or find them on the web at http://www.bbbsfoundation.org/.

The BBBS truck comes to your door!