Post contributed by Amy Mosley, Office Supervisor, Student Housing Maintenance
Join Aubie at this year’s Check Out for Charity May 2-8.
As we move closer to May it is the time of year when students have a lot going on and inevitably, students will forget to plan ahead when moving out of their residential halls. Over 20 years ago my director David Maddox, started Check-Out for Charity to provide an easier way for on-campus residents to donate their gently used and unwanted items to local charities. Check-Out for Charity was created once David noticed students were throwing away good, reusable items when they unable to pack all of their belongings into their vehicles to move-out.
During the spring finals week, our department establishes designated donation locations around all of the residence halls. Additionally, we have local charities set up tents and box trucks outside as well to collect household goods and place barrels in the lobbies for nonperishable food donations. We will collect these items for several days until the move-out process is complete.
Results from the 2015 Check Out for Charity.
In more recent years, we have seen residents become more passionate about the amount of donations everyone makes across campus. This has created an influx of donations which has made a tremendously positive effect for our local participating charities: The Salvation Army, The Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and the Food Bank of East Alabama. Last year alone the donations estimated 1,055 cubic yards of reusable goods for the Salvation Army and the ReStore in addition to the 2,368 pounds of food donations to the East Alabama Food Bank. The substantial amount of donated goods diverted an estimated additional 40 or more roll-off dumpsters to fill the landfill.
Through this blog, my endeavor is to encourage on and off-campus residents to donate more unwanted items during move-out. I also hope to encourage privatized property managers and other educational institutes to create their own donation drive during prime move-outs. I can only imagine the amount of reusable goods wasted and the dollar amount spent for waste collection by the City of Auburn and Property Managers around town. Let’s be a part of the solution.
If you are interested in donating, volunteering, or would like more information about Check-Out for Charity, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/au.cofc.
