To everyone who called because I haven’t written lately: Thank you, I’m okay! Truth is, I’ve been preoccupied shopping, wrangling work, and planning an out-of-state move. But today, I saw a Salvation Army bell ringer (some of whom, incidentally, now accept credit cards). It reminded me to forget all the selfish stuff for a moment. Charities feel the recession, too; all the more reason to help however we can. And, as it turns out, you don’t have to fork over your own hard-earned cash to make a difference. [...]

Donating your unused clothing makes a lot of sense; you can help out a charity like Goodwill or the Salvation Army while cleaning out your closet. You’ll even score a small tax deduction. But choose whom you give you clothes to carefully; for-profit companies are now setting up clothing drop boxes and then reselling your duds to consignment stores or textile recyclers. [...]