Donation Dash
Donation Dash takes place May 13-16, as students move out of the residence halls. For four days, HSU Housing & Dining, Plant Operations, and the Waste Reduction & Resource Awareness Program (WRRAP) will team up to collect items that can be recycled or donated to local charities.
Local organizations benefitting from Donation Dash this year include: Arcata House, Angels of Hope Thrift Store, Dreamquest, Companion Animal Foundation, and Reusable Office Supply Exchange.
“Students tend to throw away everything they don’t have space for in the rush to move out, which is really unfortunate. We’re there to pick up that stuff and donate it local thrift stores,” says WRRAP manager Jesse Carpentier.
Each year, the program collects more than 30,000 pounds of material–clothing and hangers, bedding and linens, office supplies, electronics, and non-perishable food items–that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
Students can drop-off their items in donation stations outside three residence halls–the Hill, College Creek and Creekview–Wednesday through Saturday. For a full schedule, see below.
To expedite the process, Carpentier asks that students separate their trash from materials that can be recycled or donated. “Sorting things in different bags helps us a lot,” she says.
WRRAP is still looking for Donation Dash volunteers, especially on Friday, May 15. If you’re interested in participating, email wrrap@humboldt.edu.
Collection Times
College Creek, Creekview and The Hill
Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Reusable Office Supply Exchange
All office supplies—paper, notepads and books—collected during Donation Dash are given to the Reusable Office Supply Exchange, or ROSE.
ROSE stocks reusable items at its storehouse at Warren House 53 on campus, where they’re free for pick-up by students, faculty and staff throughout the year.
“Office supplies are something that pretty much everyone has left over, and everyone can use, so we encourage people to donate,” Carpentier says.
According to organizers, ROSE saves students about eight thousand dollars in school supplies a semester.
For more information on green programs at HSU, visit humboldt.edu/green. For more information, contact Jesse Carpentier at jcarpentier@humboldt.edu.