No room in the truck for the futon, extra boxes of macaroni or nearly new T-shirts during move-out? Instead of throwing those items away, donate them to Share Our Stuff (SOS).
WUSTL’s SOS program seeks to reduce waste and share goods typically thrown away during on-campus and off-campus move-out with those in need in the St. Louis region. SOS hosts drop-off points at Danforth Campus residential areas and off-campus.
SOS is organized by the Office of Sustainability, Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and Sharing With a Purpose, a nonprofit organization sponsored through the Student Entrepreneurial Program. It benefits MERS Goodwill, Operation Food Search, the Campus Y and the Ronald McDonald House.
SOS will accept a variety of usable goods, including:
- furniture and furnishings;
- clean clothing and linens;
- books;
- appliances and electronics;
- school and office supplies;
- unused hygiene products; and
- unopened, nonperishable food.
All items must be clean and in good condition.
SOS drop-off spots for donated items will be located in South 40 and The Village residence halls beginning Monday, April 30, and continue through Saturday, May 19.
For those living off-campus in Residential Life-managed housing, collection points will be located in the lower level of apartment buildings April 30-May 19.
There also will be SOS drop-off locations (in the form of Portable-On-Demand, or POD units) near Quadrangle Management apartment buildings at 725 Kingsland Ave., 6188 McPherson Ave. and 6654 Washington Ave. from April 30 through early August. Open hours will be from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
MERS Goodwill also will offer additional drop-off locations for furniture along University Drive and at Greenway Apartments.
For more information about locations, dates and times, visit sustain.wustl.edu.
A Senior Week SOS event, called “Lightening Your Load,” also will be held for off-campus residents and community members May 19, the Saturday following Commencement, from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Academy Building parking lot on the corner of Melville Avenue and University Drive.
Students and community residents may bring their reusable goods for donation to MERS Goodwill or call for pick-up service. For more information, visit sustain.wustl.edu.
MERS Goodwill is a St. Louis-based not-for-profit association that provides job-training and employment services to individuals who have barriers to employment through disability or economic disadvantage. It serves more than 11,000 families annually.
Operation Food Search is a St. Louis food bank that distributes more than 1.5 million pounds of food and household items to 250 food pantries and soup kitchens.
The Campus Y is a student-centered organization that provides community service opportunities in 25 student-led programs. Its mission is to develop ethical leaders of exemplary character by applying the principles of the YMCA of Greater St. Louis in partnership with WUSTL.
The Ronald McDonald House provides a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill children traveling to St. Louis for medical treatment. The Ronald McDonald House provides comfort, care and lodging for up to 39 families every day of the year and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in St. Louis-area hospitals serve more than 4,000 families per year.
SOS will collect for the Shoeman Water Project as well. New or gently used shoes may be placed at bins at most SOS collection sites. Shoeman Water Projects, a nonprofit organization, collects donated shoes and exports the shoes to retailers in the developing world. Funds generated from the shoe sales are used to purchase well-drilling rigs, water purification systems and other equipment to bring clean, fresh water to those who need it.
To volunteer to help with SOS, the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@wustl.edu.
For more information, visit sustain.wustl.edu or call (314) 935-3454.