Downsizing in Daytona Beach: A Tote-by-Tote Plan for Seniors and Their Families

Use four clearly labeled zones or totes in each room. Decide each item once, and move it to its zone right away. Undecided items get one tote per room, which you revisit at the end of the week.

Ask family early which items they want, and set a pickup date. Items no one claims by that date move to donate or sell. This keeps the home from becoming a storage unit for relatives.

Each charity has its own rules, so check before you load the car. Here is what their published pages say, as of Oct 2026.

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida opened a Donation Xpress center at 1425 W. Granada Blvd. in Ormond Beach, where staff meet donors at their vehicles. Goodwill accepts clothing, furniture in good condition, kitchen items, working small appliances and electronics, and tools with the gas removed. It does not accept mattresses, box springs, bed frames, large appliances, TVs, cribs, medicine or chemicals. It offers donation pickup through a partnership with ReSupply.

The Habitat for Humanity of Greater Volusia County ReStore is at 3813 S. Nova Rd., Unit 103, in Port Orange. ReStores generally take furniture, appliances, cabinets, lighting, doors, tools and flooring in reusable condition. Habitat says many ReStores offer pickup for larger items, but not all, so call the store first.

The Salvation Army's Daytona thrift store is at 1415 Ridgewood Ave. in Holly Hill. It takes gently used clothing, furniture, appliances and household items at the store, and you can schedule a pickup online.

The Council on Aging of Volusia County is based at 420 Fentress Blvd. in Daytona Beach. Its services include senior center activities, meal delivery, reassurance phone calls, in-home care, respite care and guardianship. Some services are free or low-cost for eligible seniors, and others are private pay.

For help finding other services, the statewide Elder Helpline run by Florida's elder affairs agency is 1-800-963-5337. It is a good first call when you are not sure which local program fits.

Ask the community for the exact room dimensions and a floor plan, then sketch where each piece goes. Leave clear walking paths, especially around the bed and bathroom door. A recliner, a small table and a dresser often fill a studio faster than people expect.

In Florida, assisted living residents must be offered the option to use their own belongings as space permits. If the facility supplies furniture, each room must include a bed, closet or wardrobe space, a dresser, a nightstand, a lamp and a wastebasket. Ask what is already provided before you move duplicates.

Totes help most when you are sorting. Labeled totes for keep, family and donate make each decision visible, and lids keep things clean while they wait. We deliver them, and after the move we pick up the empty totes at the new address, so no cardboard is left behind.

They make less sense if a move manager is packing with their own supplies, or if most items are going straight to donation. In that case, a few totes for keepsakes and paperwork may be all you need. We do not move furniture or loaded totes, so you will still need movers or family for the heavy lifting.