The Demopolis Kiwanis Club is collecting used cell phones. The high school groups TEMPO and YEP! are collecting used shoes. Despite the down economy, it looks like there are still some used things that we are discarding, things that can be used by others.

Look around your house. You may find some things that you aren’t using any more that other people would be glad to have: clothing, dishes, glasses (glass or plastic), books, appliances, furniture.

If you have something around that house that you pretty much will not use again but can still be used by someone, there are several ways to put that item to good use — even if you aren’t really up to having a yard sale or putting something on eBay.

Give the people at the Bargain Box or the Salvation Army a call and see if they could find a place for your items. Call your church or any local school. Even if they don’t have a place for your item, they are likely to know of someone or somewhere that does.

When you hear of a group or organization collecting used items, do what you can to help that group out. Much more often than not, they are collecting the items to help others — like the shoe collection for the people of Haiti — or to help them raise funds to help others, like the Kiwanis Club using the money it gets to recycle cell phones to go towards its projects fund.

But, don’t wait until you hear about someone doing the collecting.

The Bargain Box and the Salvation Army exist to help others through public donations. Even if you have a large item like a couch or a dresser, they can find a way to pick it up and bring it back to their business.

The Bargain Box can be reached at (334) 289-9399, and is located on West Washington Street at the Culpepper Warehouse building west of Commissioners Ave. The Salvation Army can be reached at (334) 289-6090, and is located at 900 U.S. Highway 80 East in the Robinwood Shopping Center.

Find a use for those things that you don’t use any more. Share what you have to help others.

David B. Snow is the managing editor of The Demopolis Times.