Giving Doctor

I’ve just filled 10 boxes with clothes dating back to the 70s, mixed crockery sets and down-but-not-out appliances. Will op shops take this stuff? What’s the best way to donate it? 

It’s hard to believe that aid agency volunteers regularly sort through paint-stained clothes, oil-soaked lounge chairs and broken crockery. At worst, grass clippings, soiled nappies, building off-cuts, old dentures and dead dogs have been pulled from some collection bins. One Salvos store even discovered a police utility belt complete with baton, mace and handcuffs… but no gun.

Whether you have the best intentions or just can’t wait for hard rubbish day, it’s critical that your donations are in working or wearable condition and that collection bins and storefronts not be used as dumping grounds. Your children’s hand-me-downs could actually be costing, rather than benefitting, an aid agency.

According to Neville Barrett, General Manager of the Eastern Territory Salvos Stores, last year a record $6 million was spent nationally on disposing of other people’s rubbish. That’s 20 million kilograms - the equivalent of 4,000 truckloads – taken to the tip at The Salvation Army’s expense.

“This is money which should be going towards running vital Salvation Army programs, assisting the less fortunate,” he said. The cost of drivers and trucks transporting waste instead of picking up people’s quality goods from home only adds to the frustration, especially when the stores contribute a vital $17 million dollars towards Salvation Army services.

To make matters worse, the quality donations – about half of all abandoned goods according to Southern Territory Salvos Stores CEO Allen Dewhirst – are often ruined by bad weather or stolen by opportunists for market sale. There were even incidents of dumped material being set alight over the Christmas period, causing substantial damage to storefronts.

So do the right thing. Make informed decisions about when, where and what to donate, and your good intentions will pay off.

When: Drop your donations during business hours to avoid damage and pilfering. Donations are accepted all year round.

If your items are too big to deliver or you can’t deliver your goods during business hours, make the call: many organisations will pick them up for free.

Where: The best place to drop your goods is on the store’s front counter where staff can assess and gratefully accept (or reject!) your household goods, personal items and clothing. While the Salvos and Vinnies have the broadest national retail presence, look for Brotherhood of St Laurence, Savers, Mission Australia, Cat Protection Society and Good Sammy stores in your state or territory. Check out the op shop listings at GiveNow

Collection bins are easy targets for covert dumpings of rubbish and are rapidly becoming a thing of the past; Eastern Territory Salvos Stores and The Brotherhood have done away with them altogether. St Vincent de Paul limits their bins to private property like churches and school grounds where it’s hoped there’s less chance of abuse. Salvos Stores in the Southern Territory are gradually relocating outdoor bins indoors and have also extended some shops’ trading hours, including Sundays, to encourage donors inside.

What: To borrow a line: ‘If it’s too good to throw away, give it to the Salvos’. Apply this mantra to your aid agency of choice then assign any broken, faulty, soiled or threadbare junk to the tip pile – and take it there yourself! Items should be good enough for your own continued use and comply with the organisation’s health and safety guidelines. Check websites for full details but generally:

DO GIVE

•  clean second hand clothing

•  bric-a-brac

•  useable crockery

•  serviceable new and used furniture

•  readable books

•  CDs, DVDs and videos

•  complete wooden bed frames and clean mattresses

•  toys and small electrical items in working order.

DON’T GIVE

•  pre-loved TVs, computers or printers

•  stained, torn or broken soft furnishings

•  soiled mattresses or bases

•  wire mesh beds

•  water beds or free-standing bed heads

•  carpets and underfelt

•  white goods; gas, electric or oil heaters, ovens, cooktops or BBQs

•  car parts

•  building materials

•  bike helmets

•  baby furniture

•  prams or car seats

•  swing sets; trampolines and exercise equipment

If your unwanted goods aren’t welcome, there may still be ways to pass them on and help others in the process. Go to GiveNow for a national directory for giving everything from bikes and blankets to books and boots.

Remember: your material donations generate vital funds to aid agencies. But millions of dollars worth of your clothes, household goods and personal items are also given away annually to people in critical need via store vouchers and crisis care. If the task of collecting, sorting and distributing your donation is made easy, other people ’ s lives will be made that much easier too.

nb : Southern Territory Salvos Stores operate in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Northern Territory. The Eastern Territory stores cover New South Wales, Queensland and ACT. Phone 13 72 58 for Salvos pick-ups nationally.