With spring just a few weeks away, it's time to start gearing up for a round of spring cleaning. There's just one problem: what will you do with all those items you don't need anymore? Leaving them sitting around the house isn't a good idea, but neither is throwing them out.  

Our real estate agents have faced this same dilemma many times. They recommend donating your gently used items to some of the many local charities, non-profits, and philanthropic businesses near our Crookston homes for sale. Here are some of the places accepting these kinds of donations around town.  

• Care and Share of Crookston - 220 East 3rd Street, Crookston, MN 56716  
  Care and Share of Crookston is a shelter offering hot meals and a warm place to sleep for needy residents in the local community. They also operate a Donation Room where you can drop off everything from clothing and furniture to school supplies and hygiene essentials. Once you've left your items with the staff, they'll be sorted and placed in the shelter's repository for use by anyone stopping by for help.
  
  
• Tri-Valley Opportunity Council - 107 N Broadway, Crookston, MN 56716 
  Tri-Valley Opportunity Council is a non-profit dedicated to helping residents near our Crookston homes for sale live prosperous and fulfilling lives. They occasionally accept donations of things like toys, books, food, and household items – all of which are distributed to local families who need them most. Check their website to find out what they're currently looking for and drop it off during normal business hours at their Crookston administrative office. 
  
  
• Wish Upon a Star - 120 W 6th Street, Crookston, MN 56716 
  If your closets are your main sources of clutter, consider donating those old clothes to Wish Upon a Star. This consignment shop has an outdoor donation bin where you can drop off gently used clothing at any time. While some of the proceeds from donation sales go toward supporting the business, the shop also hosts Free Will Fridays every week. During these days, all proceeds go to local non-profits working to make local folks' lives better. 
  
  
• Polk County Social Services - 612 N Broadway, Crookston, MN 56716 
  Polk County Social Services sometimes accepts donations of used clothing and household items. Once you've dropped the items off, the staff at the Crookston office will redistribute them to anyone in the area who needs them. Call them up and ask whether they're currently taking the kinds of items you want to give away. Children's items like toys, bibs, and baby onesies are in particularly high demand! 
  
  
• United Way of Crookston - 528 Strander Avenue, Crookston, MN 56716  
  United Way of Crookston is the local branch of United Way, a massive multinational non-profit network dedicated to helping people achieve better health and economic security. You can help them by dropping off items like clothing, school supplies, small appliances, and furniture at their Strander Avenue office. The items will then be distributed through specific programs or made freely available to clients in need.  

Want to do even more to help make the city a better place? Contact us today to start your search for a home in the area and become an official member of this tight-knit community.