In The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up, the illustrious Japanese organising consultant/author Marie Kondo stresses that: "Get rid of anything that doesn't spark joy." But, you know, just trashing usable stuff can sound so dreadful.
The idea of giving things away at charity stores is, however, a smart trick to taking the first step to letting go and, at the same time, delighting in the joy of giving -- because your old teddy bear, unworn designer clothes and those unwanted gifts from Christmas can make a difference and instead bring joy to others.
The Thai Red Cross Society has opened Hong Dai Boon (Merit Room) since 1994. The thrift store sells donated clothes and homewares as well as accepting clean, decent second-hand stuff to fund the work of the Thai Red Cross Society.
Having undergone a major facelift, Hong Dai Boon has freshly unveiled its new look with a bigger space in 100m². The charity shop is now packed with a better variety of goods including clothing, accessories and household items together with a new section of brand-new products and celebrity-donated pieces.
In addition to Hong Dai Boon of the Thai Red Cross Society, there are also other charity shops run by charitable organisations like the Yuwapat Foundation's Pankan (www.pankansociety.com; the next Pankan Street Fair being held on June 4-5 at Gateway Ekamai), Mirror Foundation (www.mirror.or.th; currently offering donation pick-up service in selected locations), Kusol Kamlang Sam (www.kusol3.com) and Suan Kaew Foundation (www.kanlayano.org) which all give us a reason to declutter and shop for a humanitarian cause.
-- Pimchanok Phungbun Na Ayudhya
To support the Thai Red Cross Society -- whether to donate goods, grab a bargain or learn about volunteering opportunities, Hong Dai Boon is located on the first floor of Amnuay Noratham Building at the Thai Red Cross Society's Fundraising Bureau and is open from Monday to Friday from 9am-4pm. Call 02-256-4622, 02-250-0318 or visit www.redcrossfundraising.org.
