New building viewed as a boon for agency’s mission
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Of all the benefits Love Inc. will gain as it moves a portion of its operations into a new space at 401 Milwaukee Ave., the most valuable will be better control and handling of donated items, according to Executive Director Barbara Howard.
Love Inc. is planning to transition into the building that formerly housed Reineman’s sporting goods by the end of the year. The new space will become home to the independent social service agency’s household thrift store and donation center.
The building, which Love Inc. purchased in August, gives the agency the ability to accept, process and store donations in an orderly and streamlined manner that was unavailable at its current facility due to space and site limitations, Howard said.
The biggest problem Love Inc. suffers at its current site at 480 S. Pine St. is the after-hours dumping of donations that are often unsuitable for resale and put a financial strain on the agency as it is forced to dispose of the items.
“We’re just trying to educate people that this actually hurts our mission,” said Howard, who has been with Love Inc. for two years. “We’re not being mean.”
The new building has a fenced-in area on the northeast side that features painted lanes and arrows, which will allow drive-up donations during regular hours. After hours, the fence will be closed and surveillance cameras will be in place to discourage dumping, she said.
“We have to spend about $700 a month just to get rid of the TVs that are dumped,” she added.
Howard said she believes most people have good intent when they make donations, but some don’t stop to realize the burden that unwanted items place on the agency.
For example, she said, people often gather up the items they could not sell at a rummage sale and take them to Love Inc. However, the fact the items did not sell at the rummage sale is a good indicator they will not sell at the thrift store.
“We need to get things we can sell because that’s what supports our mission,” she said.
Love Inc.’s thrift stores – the clothing and kids’ stores in Burlington and a separate store in Waterford – support the agency’s other services, including its food pantry, financial counseling and meal site. The agency assists hundreds of area families on a yearly basis, according to Howard.
Read the full story in the Nov. 2 edition of the Burlington Standard Press, including specifics about how the agency’s thrift stores will be configured once the new facility opens on Jan. 2
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