Area charities set to ‘clean up’ during UW moving days

Goodwill Industries and St. Vincent de Paul will staff three sites around the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus to collect donations from students who are moving in or out of apartments this month.

The groups seek donations of clean clothes, good quality furniture, unopened nonperishable food and other household items. Anyone bringing items will receive free boxes and prizes, while supplies last.

“The city doesn’t want to spend time and money landfilling perfectly good stuff,” says George Dreckmann, Madison recycling coordinator. “This ‘Moving Days’ effort will make it easy for students to donate their items. And the sales from those items will help people in the Madison area. Everybody wins.”

St. Vincent de Paul donors enable the organization to provide furniture, clothing and food, and to fund transitional housing operations, helping individuals in need in Dane County. The organization provided $165,330 in furniture donations, $272,762 in food donations and $114,611 in clothing donations last year.

Goodwill is widely known for its donation centers and retail stores. But the organization also provides employment and housing services, assisting individuals to become as self-sufficient as possible. More than 86 cents of every dollar earned from selling donated clothing and household goods funds their services for people with disabilities.

The following is a list of donation sites, times and sponsors:

* Downtown-Goodwill: Broom and Mifflin, near Capitol Centre Foods, Aug. 11-14, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
* State Street – St. Vincent de Paul, Holy Redeemer Church parking lot, 120 W. Johnson St., Aug. 9-14, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
* South of Campus – St. Vincent de Paul, UW Lot 51 on N. Mills Street, behind McDonald’s on Regent Street, Aug. 9-14, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

In addition, some downtown high-rise apartment buildings will host collection sites for Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc. (CAC) and St. Vincent de Paul.

Moving Days is a broad coalition of local partners working to keep Madison clean while benefiting local charities. Moving Days is sponsored by City of Madison, Community Action Coalition, Goodwill Industries, UW–Madison’s Morgridge Center for Public Service, St. Paul’s University Center, St. Vincent de Paul, Tenant Resource Center, Two Men and a Truck, University Health Services and WSUM Radio.

Information on donations, trash disposal and recycling can be found at the donation sites and at http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/streets/streets.html

For more information on Moving Days, visit http://www.uhs.wisc.eduor call (608) 267-2626.