Challenges at Salvation Army Sorting Centre
After a scary incident, the Salvation Army wants to keep their property secure and orderly.
An old couch was recently set ablaze in the early hours of the morning, resulting in damage to the Sorting Centre located at 670 High Street West. The building shows signs of smoke damage and some glass needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, cleaning up unusable items left after hours and dealing with vandalism is nothing new for the organization.
The Salvation Army therefore wants to remind the public that, while they appreciate the items donated to the Sorting Centre, they do not accept items like mattresses, tires, or anything that is broken and unusable. Items that cannot be accepted must then be hauled to the landfill —at the cost of the Salvation Army. Often, there is garbage strewn about the property on Sundays, as people pick through garbage bags of donations.
“We don’t take junk. We don’t take mattresses and we don’t take tires. They know that, but some people drop it off anyway,” said business manager Brent Fraser.
The Sorting Centre is open Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Furniture and large items should not be left after hours. Signage on the building reminds the public about these hours and what items are not acceptable. The Salvation Army does have drop-off bins on the side of the building to facilitate after-hours donations, but that system is far from perfect. “There is a secure room inside,” said Fraser. “This ensures the items are out of the weather and away from the vandals, but the problem is guys jump inside to do their shopping.”
“The danger is that someone may crawl in there and start a fire,” added Major Dan Broome, Community Services Director with the Salvation Army. “If they do, well, one, they are risking their own life but the whole building could also go up in flames.” Of course, paying to haul junk and repairing damages to the property affects the Salvation Army’s ability to help those in need.
To address the issue, the Salvation Army will be adding bright new lights to illuminate the area. They will also be installing security cameras. Fraser says they will be also adding a Sunday afternoon shift from 1 to 4 p.m. to ensure that garbage is not left in front of the building.
There are currently 10 people working at the Sorting Centre. Ultimately, the Salvation Army hopes the public will assist them in helping those in need and will respect their donation guidelines.
“The items that we can sell, we are re-using those items and keeping them out of the city landfill,” said Fraser. “We provide a good service,” added Broome, “but we feel like people are taking advantage of us by dropping off their garbage. They can easily take it to the landfill or any place that offers free disposal services.”