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BOXES OF DONATIONS WERE LEFT RIPPED UP, THROWN ABOUT AND ‘COVERED IN BODILY FLUIDS’ AT BACK OF SHOP
A CHARITY shop in Tralee has asked that customers adhere to their ‘in-store’ donation hours after boxes of donated items were ripped up and urinated upon after being left outside the store over the Christmas period.
Numerous bags and boxes of toys, teddies and clothes were torn and left tossed about in the back entrance (located in the SuperValu car park) to the Sue Ryder charity store in Tralee over the festive season.
Shop manager, Adele Kelliher said that while this was not the first time such a thing had happened, the incident represented the most damage she had seen, stating that she found two empty bottles of vodka at the scene.
“This is just the last thing you want to see just after Christmas. These were donations that were given generously and now cannot be used. Someone’s good intentions have gone out the window.” said Adele, talking to The Kerryman on Thursday.
“Judging by the smell, people had definitely urinated on them and there were other bodily fluids on them too that we won’t mention. I was down on my hands and knees for a half an hour, rubber gloves on, cleaning it up,” she continued.
Adele says that this most recent bout of dumping is part of a wider problem for the charity involving materials left outside.
“We’re always reading about the illegal dumping that takes place in areas around the county..
“I could write you a whole essay on this topic.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg with regards to these things; I’ve lost count the number of times that I have seen bags left by the gate and when you open it up, it’s just domestic waste that someone has dumped there in the middle of donations.,” she continued.
In an effort to ensure that something like this does not happen again, Adele is imploring people to pay attention to the shop opening hours - thus ensuring that all donations will be safely received and put to good use.
“People need to start giving their donations inside of the shops working hours.
“If they continue to leave boxes and bags outside the gates in SuperValu car park, things like what happened over Christmas are going to keep on happening,” she said.
“It is clearly marked on our gate that we do not accept donations outside of shop opening hours, but still, people continue to leave items there.
“If people want to see their donated items actually given to a good home, they need to do so in working hours,” she finished.
The Sue Ryder charity store in Tralee is located at 120 Rock Street.
The charity is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping older people live safely, securely and independently in their own homes.