With the semester winding down to a close, many students are thinking about moving out and moving on. Before tossing out any unwanted items to lighten the move, consider the saying, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”
In the campaign “When You Move Out…Don’t Throw It Out,” the Office of Residence Life is seeking donations of clothing, household goods and non-perishable foods for distribution to local charities. For the convenience of students, collection bins have been placed in all residence hall lobbies and the campus convenience stores where items can be dropped off.
Off-campus students are encouraged to donate as well. A central collection center will be available in the Darrow Hall Honors Center located in Kreischer Quadrangle. The collection center will be accepting donations through finals week.
A similar campaign was held last year with great success, so it’s being tried again.
Donations were then collected in the forum of Saddlemire.
“The room was filled from edge to edge and piled high,” Bonnie Blankenship, of the office of marketing and communications, said. “They didn’t expect such a tremendous outpouring of generosity.”
“We had four tables filled with Ramen Noodles,” steering committee member Jeff Poprik said.
While all donations of food are appreciated, it would be nice to see a variety of foods this year, Poprik said. Foods high in protein such as peanut butter, tuna, beans or any canned goods are needed.
“Last year, laundry detergent was the first thing to go,” Poprik said.
Even partial bottles of detergent are accepted.
Also, the local charities seemed grateful for the clothing donations, because students have nice clothes, Poprik said. A solution is here for anyone having a pair of jeans too tight, or a shirt where the color is just not right.
The campaign was spearheaded by Nick Hennessy, associate director of residence life for educational initiatives. Hennessy heard about the campaign from other universities, and used the program at Texas Tech as a model.
Overall, it’s a win-win situation. Students lighten their moving load and usable goods are diverted from landfills. Most of all, the less fortunate, such as migrant farm workers, are given a helping hand.
Several campus organizations will be volunteering time to help move and sort the donations. They usually sign up for a four-hour block of time, Poprik said.
Donations will be distributed among the Bowling Green Christian Food Pantry, the Aurora Project and La Posada shelters, the Cherry Street Mission, St. Vincent de Paul, Rural Opportunities in Bowling Green, the Salvation Army and area churches with outreach programs.
The program is supported by the University Recycling Program, Recreational sports, Office of Campus Involvement, Pepsi Inc., Kroger’s and the Special Programs Series Fund of Residence Life, among others.
