Thrift stores are closed, but donations piling up
If you clean out your closet or garage over the weekend, hold on to the stuff you want to donate.
Local Salvation Army donation centers reopened Friday because residents kept dumping their stuff there, even though the centers had been closed for days because of the statewide stay-at-home order to slow the spread of coronavirus. Major John Aren, a Salvation Army administrator, pointed to studies that found the coronavirus can linger on stainless steel, plastic and cardboard objects.
“So the idea that people would leave donations in front of our closed donation sites for the masses to pilfer through could in fact enhance the spread of the virus,” Aren said. “It’s also a violation of most municipal policies, and we would strongly encourage the donors to remain in their houses, as directed by our governing officials, and to put their donations in safe storage until further notice.”
Aren said the Oak Lawn, Franklin Park and Bridgeview donation centers had the most pileups with trash bags, cardboard boxes and furniture pieces strewed across drop-off areas. He said his drivers performed “clean sweeps” of the closed centers this week and brought the items to a warehouse so they can be sorted for Salvation Army thrift stores when the stores reopen. Aren said his team is monitoring donation levels to determine how long Chicago-area centers will remain open. “We don’t want to be here, but we need to be good neighbors,” he said.
Jess Owens, a Goodwill spokeswoman, said local Goodwill donation centers have been closed since March 21 and will be subject to “extensive” cleaning. Donors should hold on to their merchandise to give later. People have left goods at some locations, “and we are monitoring that,” Owens said.
Will Sterba, manager of Avenues to Independence Thrift Shoppe, said notices went out via email and Facebook that donations aren’t being accepted, but hand-me-downs were dropped off anyway at the closed Edison Park store.
“We are getting some stuff. It was there the morning after that surprise 3 inches of snow, and all the stuff was ruined, so it had to go in the garbage,” Sterba said. “We’ve got signs in the back where donations come in saying, ‘No donations, please.’ We’re still seeing a little bit, but we’re not bringing it in and processing. It’s going in the garbage. What happens with our stuff — when the store was operating — there’s a company that picks it up and it goes to other thrift stores, and they pay us by the pound, but they’ve stopped their operations completely, so we’re just kind of stuck with the stuff.”
Howard Brown Health’s three Chicago-area Brown Elephant resale shops are closed as well, and furniture pickups have been suspended. Instead of donating spring-cleaning finds, consider giving money to these organizations.
Proceeds from Salvation Army stores go to Salvation Army adult rehabilitation programs, which Aren said are still operating during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Salvation Army also has been preparing and delivering meals to area homeless shelters and providing meals, snacks and hydration to local emergency responders amid the outbreak.
Goodwill shops support the organization’s mission to offer training, employment and supportive services for people with disabilities. Avenues to Independence
relies on thrift shop revenue to help adults with physical, intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Howard Brown Health President and CEO David Ernesto Munar said the Brown Elephant stores were born out of response to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.