I shared a photo a while back of a mess I came across that truly stirred my inner Karen. There were 3 mattresses, a box spring, and a spilled box of books piled on the ground around a clothing donation bin that was clearly marked “Clothing and Shoe Donations”. This mess triggered me on multiple levels.
These were not clothes or shoes. Follow the rules people!
The bin keeps donations safe and dry until they are picked up. If it doesn’t fit IN the bin, don’t leave it!
This is an incredibly busy road through town. Is this the 1st impression we want to give visitors as they enter our lovely city?
The donation bin is placed with the property owner’s permission, not necessarily the shops that rent space there. Mountains of yuck in the parking lot doesn’t really scream “hey stop and do business with us! We promise it’s cleaner inside than in the parking lot.”
Books all over the ground. B.O.O.K.S. ALL OVER THE GROUND.
Am I beyond ridiculous? Maybe. There are so many good people in our community that just want to help each other. It’s the thing I love most about Ennis. But if we’re not intentional about how / when / where we donate, our good intentions can go astray. The weather ruined all of these items and they wound up in the landfill. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence. So to prevent that, there is a list of donation locations on the resource tab. If your item is too big to fit in a drop off bin, consider one of our locally operated thrift stores, ministries, or one of the many “free stuff” groups on Facebook.