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In-Kind Donations

Tonearm_RobberyTonearm_Robbery 699 Posts
edited September 2005 in Strut Central
I'm turning to you for some help....I'm trying to put together a Food & Clothes Drive at my weekly party. Everyone seems really behind it and eager to help. Everything is falling in to place except for one major detail.I can't find a charity that will accept IN-KIND donations - meaning, tangible items like clothes, non-parishable food and water, toothbrushes, hygene products, media, like magazines, books, comic books, stuff to read and take your mind off of things, etc... I've been in contact with all the obvious ones but I don't want to deal with handling cold cash and, in all honesty, I really don't trust any charity that request just straight cash. I've been researching alot of these organizations and every one of their websites read the same. "We appreciate the notion of In-Kind donations but, right now, we are only accepting Financial Donations." That really pisses me off. I understand the logistics of the whole thing as far as manpower and delivery, but damn, isn't that what the Red Cross was formed for, a international network set-up for disaster relief?I've called many local charities/thrift stores here in town and they will accept In-Kind donations but not specifically for Hurricane relief. Sorry, but I would feel as if I was lying to people if I didn't make sure that these perspective donations weren't put in the right hands, not just any hands.Is it a time thing? I mean, eventually will they be asking for these kind of things? Have I jumped the gun too much? This is really confusing when it's really not that hard. I want to give to someone who needs it.I've even gone so far as to price shipping from here to the Astrodome directly. It's not that bad, but there has to be a national charity out there who wants this. In an odd twist of irony, when I approach people about helping, I'm the one who ends up looking fishy and suspect because I'm the one who hasn't alighned myself with a nationaly recoginzed organization.Any suggestions? If anyone out there knows of a national charity that accepts or will eventually accept In-Kind donations, please speak up. Is anyone else running in to this problem? What kind of drives or what kind of relief is anyone else out there doing?

  Comments

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I'm turning to you for some help....


    I'm trying to put together a Food & Clothes Drive at my weekly party. Everyone seems really behind it and eager to help. Everything is falling in to place except for one major detail.

    I can't find a charity that will accept IN-KIND donations - meaning, tangible items like clothes, non-parishable food and water, toothbrushes, hygene products, media, like magazines, books, comic books, stuff to read and take your mind off of things, etc...

    I've been in contact with all the obvious ones but I don't want to deal with handling cold cash and, in all honesty, I really don't trust any charity that request just straight cash. I've been researching alot of these organizations and every one of their websites read the same. "We appreciate the notion of In-Kind donations but, right now, we are only accepting Financial Donations."

    That really pisses me off. I understand the logistics of the whole thing as far as manpower and delivery, but damn, isn't that what the Red Cross was formed for, a international network set-up for disaster relief?

    I've called many local charities/thrift stores here in town and they will accept In-Kind donations but not specifically for Hurricane relief. Sorry, but I would feel as if I was lying to people if I didn't make sure that these perspective donations weren't put in the right hands, not just any hands.

    Is it a time thing? I mean, eventually will they be asking for these kind of things? Have I jumped the gun too much? This is really confusing when it's really not that hard. I want to give to someone who needs it.

    I've even gone so far as to price shipping from here to the Astrodome directly. It's not that bad, but there has to be a national charity out there who wants this. In an odd twist of irony, when I approach people about helping, I'm the one who ends up looking fishy and suspect because I'm the one who hasn't alighned myself with a nationaly recoginzed organization.

    Any suggestions? If anyone out there knows of a national charity that accepts or will eventually accept In-Kind donations, please speak up.

    Is anyone else running in to this problem? What kind of drives or what kind of relief is anyone else out there doing?


    Salvation Army?
  • Tonearm_RobberyTonearm_Robbery 699 Posts
    I'm turning to you for some help....


    I'm trying to put together a Food & Clothes Drive at my weekly party. Everyone seems really behind it and eager to help. Everything is falling in to place except for one major detail.

    I can't find a charity that will accept IN-KIND donations - meaning, tangible items like clothes, non-parishable food and water, toothbrushes, hygene products, media, like magazines, books, comic books, stuff to read and take your mind off of things, etc...

    I've been in contact with all the obvious ones but I don't want to deal with handling cold cash and, in all honesty, I really don't trust any charity that request just straight cash. I've been researching alot of these organizations and every one of their websites read the same. "We appreciate the notion of In-Kind donations but, right now, we are only accepting Financial Donations."

    That really pisses me off. I understand the logistics of the whole thing as far as manpower and delivery, but damn, isn't that what the Red Cross was formed for, a international network set-up for disaster relief?

    I've called many local charities/thrift stores here in town and they will accept In-Kind donations but not specifically for Hurricane relief. Sorry, but I would feel as if I was lying to people if I didn't make sure that these perspective donations weren't put in the right hands, not just any hands.

    Is it a time thing? I mean, eventually will they be asking for these kind of things? Have I jumped the gun too much? This is really confusing when it's really not that hard. I want to give to someone who needs it.

    I've even gone so far as to price shipping from here to the Astrodome directly. It's not that bad, but there has to be a national charity out there who wants this. In an odd twist of irony, when I approach people about helping, I'm the one who ends up looking fishy and suspect because I'm the one who hasn't alighned myself with a nationaly recoginzed organization.

    Any suggestions? If anyone out there knows of a national charity that accepts or will eventually accept In-Kind donations, please speak up.

    Is anyone else running in to this problem? What kind of drives or what kind of relief is anyone else out there doing?


    Salvation Army?


    No Dice. All they want is cash. Suspect.
  • meistromocomeistromoco 954 Posts
    Nothing suspect about the Salvation Army - They have helped millions around the world for years. Perhaps in a few weeks (or maybe months), organizations will start accepting clothing. Now, it is probably too early and cash will probably be most affective. While I am sure there are more than a few corrupt organizations, I'd say the big guys (Red Cross, Salvation Army, Maercy Corps, etc) are completely trustworthy and I would not hesitate to give them cash. They know how to spend it wisely.

    I actually saw a story about clothing donations tonight on the news. Apparently, it is a huge process to get the clothes down there. They need to be sorted, washed, inspected and then shipped before they are handed out to anyone. I also read a story (I think in New York Times Magazine) a while back about clothing donations - apparently there is such a surplus that over 60% of all clothing donated in the United States is sent overseas.

    I do believe places are accepting toiletries and the such if you are wary of donating cash.
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    yo tone, there are 5000 disaster victims coming to philly this week. they are already taking clothes, books and other donations. i sent off a bunch of basketball shorts and sneaks a couple hours ago. check if there is a group coming to vegas or to a city nearby.
    good work, by the way. after so much enthusiasm on the strut, i am a little taken aback by the somewhat non reactive reactions of some of my friends
  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    I actually saw a story about clothing donations tonight on the news. Apparently, it is a huge process to get the clothes down there. They need to be sorted, washed, inspected and then shipped before they are handed out to anyone.

    Yeah, it's law that you gotta wash everything and blah blah blah - it would probably be cheaper for them to buy packs of Hanes tees at Wal-Mart.

    I also read a story (I think in New York Times Magazine) a while back about clothing donations - apparently there is such a surplus that over 60% of all clothing donated in the United States is sent overseas.

    I dunno about the stat, but part of it is true. I had a professor who does just that - he buys used clothing by the shipping container[/b] - like the kind you see on freighters - they pack the clothes in with a machine to compress as many as possible to fit in the container. Then he takes out a little bit of insurance, ships the container to Africa, and has a guy there that sells them. He makes some bread on it and it's just a casual hobby-job of his.
  • meistromocomeistromoco 954 Posts
    I also read a story (I think in New York Times Magazine) a while back about clothing donations - apparently there is such a surplus that over 60% of all clothing donated in the United States is sent overseas.

    I dunno about the stat, but part of it is true. I had a professor who does just that - he buys used clothing by the shipping container[/b] - like the kind you see on freighters - they pack the clothes in with a machine to compress as many as possible to fit in the container. Then he takes out a little bit of insurance, ships the container to Africa, and has a guy there that sells them. He makes some bread on it and it's just a casual hobby-job of his.
    I believe the stat. I bet it is not far off, anyway. Yeah, the article followed a donated Tshirt in NYC. The Author marked the bag it was placed in (within a container that was headed for Kenya, I believe), found it at the port (amazingly), and followed it inland where it was bought by some farmer. When I was in Africa I always wondered where everyone got their Hard Rock Cafe shirts, WWF shirts, and Confederate Flag shirts (no joke - they were pretty common).
  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    after so much enthusiasm on the strut, i am a little taken aback by the somewhat non reactive reactions of some of my friends

    NO SHIT!

    I don't think some people realize the magnitude of this and it pains me.
    Especially now that everyone thinks "oh they're ok now, they got them out".
    The media has really cooled off from it but stories are still coming out.
    I think if you're not on the internets 24/7 with access to all kinds of news you really don't get the full story - or even most - with mainstream news.

    What's even more disheartening is people taking the "well, it's not my problem, the government should take care of it" stance.
    I mean wtf? Don't you care about your fellow man? And do you REALLY think after the track record these motherfuckers have and ESPECIALLY how they handled this tragedy their gonna "take care of it"?
    It's sad.



    But the people on this board help to re-affirm the good in people.
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