Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina is encouraging everyone to commit to donating 10 items before the end of 2012. During this busy and celebratory time of year, many people are looking for ways to help those in need, and donating used goods is perhaps the easiest, most affordable, and one of the most efficient ways to help.

“In a season when many of us are focused on gift buying, many Americans are also just as interested in giving back,” said Jaymie Eichorn, VP of Marketing and Communications for Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina. “Even if funds are tight, people can give back by donating gently used items to Goodwill. We take everything from unwanted holiday sweaters to computers and laptops. We then turn these items into something very real: job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others who face challenges to finding employment.”

With 10 days left in 2012, Goodwill asks people to commit to donating 10 items by December 31. Among Goodwill’s top 10 goods that can be donated:

10.Computers: At the end of their useful life computers can be donated at your local Goodwill store and recycled via Goodwill’s Dell Reconnect partnership. 100% of consumer electronics donated to Goodwill are responsibly recycled. For more information, visit www.goodwillpc.org.

9.Kitchenware: Receive something new for the kitchen during the holidays? Gently used kitchenware can be donated at most Goodwill donation locations. To find the donation site in your community, go to www.goodwillnwnc.org.

8.Video Games: A donation of 10 video games can provide 47 minutes of on-the-job training for someone like Sarouet Ouk, who dropped out of school but found a green job and got back on track educationally thanks to a Goodwill job training program. Read about Sarouet at http://www.goodwill.org/my-story/sarouet-ouk/.

7.Books: Upgrade from paperbacks to a Kindle or iPad this year? Donating 15 books can provide 26 minutes of career counseling for a veteran like Jason Tobey, a Marine Corps veteran who struggled to find employment after being honorably discharged from the military. Read about Jason at https://donate.goodwill.org/your-impact/jason-tobey/

6.CDs: If all of your songs are saved on hard drives and mp3 players, do you really need those hundreds of old CDs that are taking up space in the back of your closet? It may be time to donate them.

5.Cell phones: Unused cell phones are one of the fastest-growing types of trash in America. Instead of discarding your old phone, recycle or donate it. Donors should be sure to delete personal data before donating.

4.Household items: It’s time to give that lamp a new life. Lamps, frames, vases, knick-knacks, baskets, and collectibles are just a few of the many items that you can donate to Goodwill.

3.Bikes: Yes, Goodwill and other thrift stores take big-ticket items like bikes. When your children have outgrown theirs, or you’ve moved on to a new bike, consider donating.

2.Gift Cards: Billions of dollars in holiday gift cards go unused every year. You can donate an unwanted gift card — with any unused amount on it — to your local Goodwill.

1.Clothes: Suits, pants, dresses, shirts. You name it, we’ll take it. Donating clothes not only funds job training programs, but also provides new outfits for the job seekers Goodwill serves.

Donating used goods of all kinds provides valuable services to tens of thousands of residents of northwest North Carolina every year. At the Donate Movement website (http://donate.goodwill.org), donors can calculate the impact each donation will have in terms of job training, career counseling, financial education programs and more.