BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Since the release of the Netflix series, "Tidying up with Marie Kondo" in January, there's been a 15 percent increase in donations for Goodwill stores across Kern County, said Jake Slayton, the COO of Goodwill Industries of South Central CA.
The increase has been seen in all 10 Goodwill stores in Kern County, Southern Tulare, and Kings County, said Slayton.
He contributes the increase to the Marie Kondo Effect, after hearing stories from donors who are cleaning out their whole closets and then donating them to Goodwill.
Marie Kondo is a Japanese tidying expert from Tokoyo, who uses her unique KonMari Method to encourage people to tidy by category not location and only keep items that 'spark joy.'
"We've seen a really high bump up in quality from what we normally see, and not just in the amount, but the actual quality of the clothes," said Slayton.
At the Goodwill location on 6465 Ming Ave in Bakersfield, 23 ABC found several name-brand items. One Ralph Lauren shirt that's usually priced online at $70 and was $7 at Goodwill.
The Salvation Army store located at 200 19th Street has also seen an increase in donations since the show started.
Lt. Edith Mabie, the administrator for The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, said they are seeing a lot of clothes, linens and little decorative items come in.
Lt. Mabie said, "We are committed to doing the best we possibly can with whatever is given to us. The community might be cleaning out their closets but what we are doing is trusting that what they are giving us, we can clean and display in the stores and turn it into an opportunity for healing."
All of the proceeds from The Salvation Army thrift stores go to help their free Adult Rehabilitation Center, said Lt. Mabie.
Except for hazardous items or built-in appliances, the thrift stores are accepting everyday household items.
"A lot of the Goodwill stores have covered drive-throughs so you'll be out of the rain. Our donations go to a good cause to help people get employed and stay employed. We want to say thank you to everyone who donates," said Slayton.
Additional information on making Donations:
Goodwill: Donate and Shop Website
Schedule a Donation Pick Up with The Salvation Army
