As part of the University of Iowa Year-End Donation Drive nearly two tons of furniture, clothing, housewares, and other items were diverted from the Iowa City Landfill during Residence Hall move-out May 9 and 10.
As UI students and their parents loaded cars and trucks with personal belongings acquired over nine months of living on campus, student volunteers were happy to help carry and collect unwanted items that could be reused.
The two-day event netted 3,733 pounds of material from three locations. Students donated off 1,500 pounds of material at the collection site in the Quadrangle courtyard, 440 pounds at Mayflower Hall, and 1,833 pounds at the Burge Hall site.
The effort was organized by UI Housing, Office of Sustainability, City of Iowa City, Goodwill of the Heartland, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and the Crisis Center of Johnson County. The Crisis Center collected over 3,000 pounds of food and hygiene items this year in the lobby of each residence hall during move-out week This was a great help for families as school ends and their children no longer have access to Free and Reduced Lunch. The ReStore accepted small appliances such as microwaves and mini-fridges.
Andrea Uhl, a graduate student in the UI School of Urban and Regional Planning, started the move-out collection drive last year as a project for her Sustainable Systems class.
Uhl returned this year and brought together representatives from Goodwill of the Heartland, Habitat Restore, the Crisis Center of Johnson County, UI Housing, UI Office of Sustainability and UI Facilities Management to once again coordinate the drive. Students
from several campus organizations, including the UI Environmental Coalition, helped collect items and load them onto Goodwill trucks.
The Crisis Center collected nonperishable food, unopened hygiene items, and cleaning supplies in the lobby of each residence hall during move-out week. The ReStore accepted small appliances such as microwaves and mini-fridges.
The weight of the material collected was down from last year, but Facilities Management staff reported that far fewer items were placed in the dumpsters this year.
-
- Volunteers load a couch onto a Goodwill truck outside Burge Hall
-
- Volunteers load a couch onto a Goodwill truck outside Burge Hall.
-
- Several futons were donated at the Quad collection site.
-
- Andrea Uhl receives a microwave at the Burge Hall donation site.
-
- This rug was in good shape and can be used again!
-
- Volunteers from UI student groups and the Habitat ReStore help out at the Quad site.
-
- A student donates a microwave to a Habitat ReStore volunteer.
-
- Andrea Uhl shows some of the nice shoes and boots donated.
-
- One of the many pieces of furniture loaded onto the Goodwill truck.
-
- The Crisis Center collected nonperishable food, hygiene items, and cleaning supplies in the lobby of each residence hall during move-out week.
-
- Students gather food donations for the Crisis Center at Daum Hall.
That is such a great idea! I never heard befor for such an intiative as the Year-End Donation Drive and am applausing it!! What is better way to gather some donation, than help all of the students and their parents to get rid of the stuff they will wonder where to throw away anyways.Bravo for the great idea to all of the faculty and the state of Iowa!
I wish everywhere would do this sort of thing to help out Families, Especially for all the Children, If it helps out mums and dads give their children an extra pair of shoes or boots, Or a much needed piece of bedroom furniture, It can only be a great thing.
I have a similar thing locally to me, It is supposed to be for families that can’t afford much, But they charge prices that in a lot of items, They are even more expensive than the shops, Which defeats the purpose entirely !