SCAD rolls out Goodwill donation pods at dorms

As students prepare to travel home for the summer in the midst of finals, SCAD has started rolling out donation pods in residence hall parking lots to collect items that students are unable to take home. The program is aimed at diverting usable items from the landfills, and it has recently earned the University some praise.

A Goodwill donation pod sits outside of Dance at The Hive. Image courtesy of Colin Rudd.

This partnership, which began in the spring of 2013, was started in an effort to prevent students from throwing away unwanted items during the end of the school year and the move-out period.  Through this partnership, Goodwill’s donation pods give students the opportunity to give away their unwanted but still usable items during this busy move out period.

“As students pack up and head out each spring, often times they do not have space or interest in taking box fans, mirrors, spare TVs, cleaning supplies, shelves and other materials they purchased at the start of the year,” Assistant Director of Residence Life and Housing Sarah Chapman said. “So students can donate items instead of throwing them away.”

A Goodwill pod parked in The Hive. Image courtesy of Colin Rudd.

Thanks to the continued efforts of students and staff, over 150,000 pounds have been donated to Goodwill since 2013, which means less items in the trash and more items in the hands of the less fortunate. Last spring, over 36,828 pounds of items were donated, which helped support over 850 hours of job training.

In the past, items such as fans, mirrors, tv’s, shelves, unwanted clothing, artwork and more have been donated. In fact, almost anything can be donated, except pillows, mattresses, food and chemicals.

In addition to the donation pods located on campus, SCAD also supports local schools by donating much-needed art supplies via the SCAD Buzz Bus. Drop Off locations at either the Jen Library or other marked bins on campus allow students to donate their unwanted or lightly used art supplies which are then redistributed to local schools.

For current students preparing to leave for the summer, take a moment to consider donating a few items that are either no longer needed or that are unable to be brought back home.