I know it's not being discussed right this second, but I do want to say a bit on behalf of charities who aren't taking donations of clothes and stuff. It takes a shitload of resources to accept in-kind gifts, especially willy-nilly ones from well-meaning people. There has to be a place to keep the stuff, and staff to go through it to make sure it's all appropriate and clean, sort by size, all that stuff. If Froot Of The Loom wants to give a truckload of packaged t-shirts, that's a zillion times easier to deal with than a thousand neighbors dropping off their used jeans.
Also, local shelters will almost always be able to use that stuff, and have a mechanism for accepting it. This week, that mechanism may be swamped, but there will still be folks near you who need clothes next month. Especially if you live in a place with winter.
t /PSA
Very true and something that is easy to overlook. Thank you, Jesse.
I am rather sad now, since I went to TJs to see if I could get the sweet potato fries Steph was talking about the other day, and they don't carry them out here.
t does the dance of sweet-potato-fry-having, which is a dance similar to the Mashed Potato, but very unlike the Cabbage Patch
What Jesse said. It's much easier for a charity to accept GIK than lots of individual donations of clothing and consumables. Cash donations are much more flexible and useful for charities -- if they don't need clothes right now, they can buy toothpaste.
Perkins!
I sent a package to your office today. The heavy item should be delivered or stuck in a freezer by September 25th.
::MWAH::
I've had to figure out how to reject "in-kind" donations from people who were significant donors to the organization, but were just (for example) trying to get rid of their old furniture. It's a PITA.
t cries
t continues dancing like the hard-hearted sweet-potato-fry eater that I am
I understand the logistical difficulties involved in dealing with lots of small donations. But I suspect I'm not the only one who'd like to help but don't have cash to donate.
I'll be digging through the cold weather clothes to donate locally, but probably not before October.
Really, I'm saying that's probably exactly what you should do -- give clothes locally. There are people with cash to give to the gulf, and people near you who will need the clothes.
Of course, if there are orgs down there who are equipped to take in clothes and etc., by all means do that. I'm just not surprised that many orgs can't handle all that's being offered right now.
Actually, on second thought, it might make more sense to wait a few weeks and then call the places that can't take the stuff now. They might be able to, later.
