WDGPT

nightmare_of_beauty · November 2013

I work for a charity similar to Good Will. We collect items (clothes, toys, household, furniture) and we sell the items to a resell shop. They give us an amount based on the weight and we use that money to help disabled with their medical needs.

I just had someone call and ask me what we do with torn or stained clothing. We do sell that to a recycle company that uses them to make rags. The lady got very upset because although her clothes have holes them, people in 3rd world countries would be more than happy to wear these! I also have people who get upset that we can't take older model tvs because homeless people could use the tv.

I'm not trying to sound mean, it is nice to donate your items, but realistically, even if we gave those items away instead of selling them, how is someone really suppose to use that?

What do you ladies think?

nfp147 · November 2013

I see the lady's point, but your place of employment, even if you are a non-profit, has to make decisions that will allow you to stay in the black and continue to operate.

I'm also wondering how a homeless person could use a TV. They would need a place to plug it in.

RockABye · November 2013

I agree with you. I mean, there are lots of people who need stuff, of course, but you can't just sell every holey, dirty item. Those are the kind of items that stay on a shelf for months (years)... I understand where she's coming from, but that's not always feasible, unfortunately. Plus, if you're selling them to the recycling company, I assume you're still "making" money to help disabled with their medical needs, right? So someone is still benefiting from the torn and stained clothing if you look at it that way!

I'd say if someone is that concerned about it, they should patch the holes or try to remove the stain prior to donating.

LuckyAngel07 · November 2013

Honestly, as much as we'd all like our well-used, stained, holey, out of date items to continue to be of use to someone else, charity organizations just do not have the means of making every last piece of someone else's "junk" usable for others.

I think repurposing old, stained, holey clothes into cleaning rags, etc is a great way to show how we can recycle and reuse old items in a new way. The recycling company is doing great work!

If that lady wants her old, unwearable clothing to go to a 3rd world country for others to wear, she should probably be contacting an international charity that handles supplies over there. And I doubt even they would take them, since they'd very likely have clothing in better condition coming in from others. At some point, you just have to realize that that shirt isn't wearable anymore.

nightmare_of_beauty · November 2013

@nfp147 If I could think of a nice way to ask them that, I would because that's what I wonder.

Working here I've found out a lot of companies like ours recycle and I thought that was awesome because it has a use. I understand when people say they want their items to go to a charity that gives them to people and I have a list that I point people to in that case. I feel if the items aren't in good condition though, you shouldn't expect someone else to wear them.

mrsskiz · November 2013

LuckyAngel07 said:

Honestly, as much as we'd all like our well-used, stained, holey, out of date items to continue to be of use to someone else, charity organizations just do not have the means of making every last piece of someone else's "junk" usable for others.

I think repurposing old, stained, holey clothes into cleaning rags, etc is a great way to show how we can recycle and reuse old items in a new way. The recycling company is doing great work!

If that lady wants her old, unwearable clothing to go to a 3rd world country for others to wear, she should probably be contacting an international charity that handles supplies over there. And I doubt even they would take them, since they'd very likely have clothing in better condition coming in from others. At some point, you just have to realize that that shirt isn't wearable anymore.

I totally agree. Besides your non-profit is helping out local Americans, not 3rd world countries. It would cost your non-profit way more money to be supporting international causes as well as the local causes.

WDGPT

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