Former employee gives back to community
August 30, 2006
As students at Wainwright and Madison elementary schools in Tacoma head back to class this fall, some will have back-to-school gear indirectly supplied by the “junk” left in PLU residence halls during spring move-out.
Sallie Brown, a former PLU employee, doesn’t consider the abandoned clothes, blankets, pillows and other supplies junk. She spends weeks each year combing through it and, with the help of volunteers from her church, sells it at an annual garage sale.
The proceeds from the PLU Student Donations Garage Sale, as Brown has aptly named it, are used to purchase backpacks, underpants, socks and other school supplies for needy children in the area.
Brown’s church, Praise Covenant, coordinates the program and identifies families who need help with back-to-school supplies.
The program is now four years old, and is part of PLU’s recycling efforts. The idea is to make sure that things that would ordinarily go to the landfill are repurposed in some way.
Brown met with Barb McConathy, the environmental services coordinator, about six years ago, and the two women decided the student leftovers should be donated to local charities. Back then, most of the unwanted items were shipped off to the dump or turned into rags, she said.
“The stuff that kids leave in the rooms or put in the recycle bins – a lot of it is old college clothes – there’s lots of really good stuff in there,” Brown said.
Each year, Brown spends five days sorting through the mountains of student castoffs, pulling out items that are still in good condition, she said.
“It’s all stuff I would put on my own kids,” she said.
The first items Brown pulls out all the blankets, towels, sheets, pillowcases and quilts. These are carted off to the Tacoma Rescue Mission, a non-profit organization that provides food, shelter and other services to needy individuals and families. She then gathers up the remaining items, mostly clothing and shoes, for the annual sale that she holds at her home.
With help from her husband and friends from church, she spends about two weeks labeling and pricing the items before setting up a mini-store under her two-car carport, she said. The sale is very organized as she uses racks, hangers and tables she’s collected or had donated throughout the years, Brown explained.
At this year’s sale, Brown said she raised $1,450, just shy of her all-time high last year of $1,730. Of that, she used $200 to buy socks and underwear at the Dollar Store, and the rest went to the church for school supplies. Since 2001, the sale has raised over $7,600, Brown said.
Though the garage sale is a big hit, there are always items that don’t sell, Brown said. Any items that remain are donated to local charities, including Christian Biker Tabernacle Church, the Toy Rescue Mission and Nativity House, she said.
“We look around and realize how lucky we are to live how we do,” Brown said. “This is my way to give back.”
If you are interested in helping with the sale next year or have items to donate, contact Brown at silvernat@wamail.net. She collects items throughout the year.
The proceeds from the PLU Student Donations Garage Sale, as Brown has aptly named it, are used to purchase backpacks, underpants, socks and other school supplies for needy children in the area.
Brown’s church, Praise Covenant, coordinates the program and identifies families who need help with back-to-school supplies.
The program is now four years old, and is part of PLU’s recycling efforts. The idea is to make sure that things that would ordinarily go to the landfill are repurposed in some way.
Brown met with Barb McConathy, the environmental services coordinator, about six years ago, and the two women decided the student leftovers should be donated to local charities. Back then, most of the unwanted items were shipped off to the dump or turned into rags, she said.
“The stuff that kids leave in the rooms or put in the recycle bins – a lot of it is old college clothes – there’s lots of really good stuff in there,” Brown said.
Each year, Brown spends five days sorting through the mountains of student castoffs, pulling out items that are still in good condition, she said.
“It’s all stuff I would put on my own kids,” she said.
The first items Brown pulls out all the blankets, towels, sheets, pillowcases and quilts. These are carted off to the Tacoma Rescue Mission, a non-profit organization that provides food, shelter and other services to needy individuals and families. She then gathers up the remaining items, mostly clothing and shoes, for the annual sale that she holds at her home.
With help from her husband and friends from church, she spends about two weeks labeling and pricing the items before setting up a mini-store under her two-car carport, she said. The sale is very organized as she uses racks, hangers and tables she’s collected or had donated throughout the years, Brown explained.
At this year’s sale, Brown said she raised $1,450, just shy of her all-time high last year of $1,730. Of that, she used $200 to buy socks and underwear at the Dollar Store, and the rest went to the church for school supplies. Since 2001, the sale has raised over $7,600, Brown said.
Though the garage sale is a big hit, there are always items that don’t sell, Brown said. Any items that remain are donated to local charities, including Christian Biker Tabernacle Church, the Toy Rescue Mission and Nativity House, she said.
“We look around and realize how lucky we are to live how we do,” Brown said. “This is my way to give back.”
If you are interested in helping with the sale next year or have items to donate, contact Brown at silvernat@wamail.net. She collects items throughout the year.