Depending on the organizations in your community, you can contact any variety of them for donation to those who are less fortunate. Your donation can help a family so much! Among those in my area, we have the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Jewish Community Center and Family Services, Family and Children's Society, and more. My area (the entire county) has a population of 240,000. If you live in a larger area, more organizations are available.

If you don't know who to contact because I haven't mentioned any that are where you live, call your clergy, Legal Aid (yes, that's right), your local police, the Marine Corps League, or a local K-12 school and ask them what organizations are taking such things.

Domestic violence in this nation is as a stunning all-time high, and the USA is among the top 10 nations in the world with this problem. When a parent and children flee such an environment, they need to start over, and your donation can help. And if you have a green thumb, consider making some cuttings and creating potted plants in the pretty plastic holiday cups on sale. Poke a hole in the bottom so the drainage is sufficient, and you can give the plants you create as a special little gift for loved ones or even for families starting over in situations like I described with domestic violence, or even families who have lost their homes to fire. Especially at this time of year, you'll be brightening the season for them and for yourself.

Chiasings  - Thanks for posting this - you're a true Green Cheapskate ;-)   If anyone's interested in more info on Freecycling, how it works, how to get involved, etc., check out this article

I love this site of freecycle.com and use it many times. Also their is angelhelp.com and now christmaswishes.com all of which are very good.

http://www.donatestuff.com/

Depending on where you live, I use amvets to pick up items that you dont need.  Or you could use goodwill also.

Years ago, they would call me by phone about every 6 weeks and asked if I had anything to contribute.  This caused me to throw away things since they would be schedueled to be in my neighborhoood every 6 weeks or so, so i would start to get a trash bag together of clothes, appliances, dishes, you name it and get ready for the pickup.  Then when the internet came in, no more phone calls and guess what I had accumulated things that we all do not need any more and realized that to have someone come and take was difficult if best. 

this link only works in some cities.  the best thing is i can go to the site, put in my zip code and can they  that a truck will be in my neighborhood on such and such date, so i then put together bags ready and put out and they pick up on that date.  it incourages you to throw things away and this link if it applys in your state/city will tell you exactly what they will take or not.  as a general rule, they will only take what 1 guy can pick up, but at least you are contributing to helping others in need and you can get rid of stuff vs throwing away.

other considerations are st vincent de paul that may pick up things, but have to call to see what they will accept.  my husband is getting ready to retire next year and is self employed,  so they wont take business stuff, but i called goodwill and they are more than willing to take even if it takes 2 seperate days to do.  at least someone maybe able to take advantage of used office furntiure vs buying new, especially when to start a business takes a lot of cash and other office furniture that is used but good and buying used vs new can save a lot of money.

they are a lot of sites out there where we can get rid of stuff but give to someone else that can buy for pennies and also benefit the place that takes it.

any other suggestions, please let me know