By Mark White, Director of Store Operations
Every day, thanks to our generous supporters, we receive hundreds of donations. They come in directly to our Distribution Center or are dropped off in one of the 30-plus bins we have located throughout the city. We have established a process for handling the donated items, so we can be a good steward of every single donation that comes to us. We examine every item to determine where it can do the most good.
Items are sorted daily into various areas: clothing, linens, appliances, furniture, household goods and more. They then go one of four places:
- Mission 27 Resale Stores: We sell items in one of our two Mission 27 stores, which are becoming popular in the “thrifting” community. The stores also provide a safe and dignified space for those on a limited budget who are looking for necessary items for themselves and their families.
- SVdP Ministries: Items are also routed to our other ministries, particularly the SVdP helpline and our homeless ministry. Those requests are passed along to the different parishes throughout our Council, and volunteers within the parish make home visits to identify needs. Vouchers are provided that allow our neighbors in need to come to the distribution center and pick up things they need with dignity. In the homeless ministry, our volunteers distribute toiletries as well as plastic shower curtains to keep our homeless neighbors dry and blankets to keep them warm.
- Local Community Partners: We stay in close contact with our local neighbors and when we learn of a need, we provide items to these organizations. We’ve donated cleaning supplies to the Catholic Youth Organization, coats and gloves to Sense School, towels and linens to IndyHumane, and coats and shoes to Hope House in Greenfield. Those are just a handful of the partners we strive to serve with your donations.
- Baling for Resale: Often times there are clothing items that cannot be used at Mission 27 Resale or by other other ministries. But even these items are useful to our ministry. We bale them for resale, so they can be recycled or provided to third world countries. And the proceeds of baling items goes right back into SVdP programs.
When you clean out your closets, garages and basements, know that we are appreciative of your gifts and we make a concerted effort to get them in the place where they will do the most good. When you donate to us, you’re donating far beyond our doors and impacting more lives than you could ever imagine.
