Volunteering at the City Mission - the Process Behind the Giving
(Helping hands: Lucy, Keiko, Andrew, Trish, Gill and Jan)
Have you ever wondered what happens to the clothing and items you donate to City Mission?
Four of our Downtown Rotarians found out first hand when they volunteered to help sort and fold clothing donation at the City Mission (CM) distribution centre in Grafton. Andrew and Trish of CM, told us that since the Marie Kondo craze (a TV decluttering expert who has started a trend around the world), the CM has been flooded with donations of clothing. So much so that they had to stop receiving donations for a few weeks as donations have started to pile up. Every week volunteers are needed to help sort clothing (there are only 2 full time staff on site- Jackie & Trish) which then gets directed to either the refuge, or to one of the 4 Op Shops in Auckland to help support families in need. Proceeds from the Op shop goes towards keeping the mission operational. Did you know that the CM spends apx. $30,000 a year on disposal fees as sometimes the donated items are in such bad or unusable condition, that they have to be thrown away. On the other side of the spectrum, sometimes there are really good and unique items that are donated which end up being collectibles. Drop into your local City Mission Op shop to take a look and help support the community.