By Mary Larsh, Columnist
I love shopping. I admit to a giddy rush of pleasure when free Victoria’s Secret coupons show up in the mail. After four years at OCU, I have accumulated quite a pile of indispensible items.
However, a problem arises when I pack up to return to Pennsylvania in May. I have two carloads of indispensible items and only one car.
Obviously, many of last year’s students ran into a similar problem, as I discovered when I found a treasure trove of items piled in the dumpster outside of Cokesbury Court Apartments.
New bookshelves, dishware and assorted furniture had all been piled around the trash. It was a sad and unnecessary waste in these difficult economic times.
While arrangements have been made by an organization to collect leftover food for a neighborhood food pantry, some effort needs to be made to keep us from wasting other valuables that many in our community would be happy to use.
Ideally, an OCU student organization might step up to organize the collection of merchandise that can be reclaimed as part of their community service effort.
OCU could even host a yard sale at the end of the year, with student organizations sponsoring tables. Goodwill or the Salvation Army could collect the items that do not sell.
If no OCU student organization is able to spearhead a campaign, perhaps a local church could park collection trucks beside the dumpsters.
We have plenty of time before the end of the year to organize a campaign to donate and reuse household items. We can prevent a repeat of last year’s case.
A student group, staff or faculty member could organize convenient, safe drop sites for student donations and ensure a clear understanding of how our donations could be used.
Donating our unwanted items is an easy way to share our blessings with the community, and it would be a shame to miss that opportunity.
Leave a Reply