Army on home-furnishings mission

If the sofa won’t fit next to the new sheepskin in the Jeep Cherokee, don’t worry, the Salvation Army is waiting around the corner to take up your burden.

Army officials are scattered about traditional student enclaves today, hoping to pick up the furniture and goodies that the learned are leaving behind and resell the goods at Salvation Army thrift stores. The sales will help pay for programs sponsored by the army.

Pick up or drop off

“When students are getting ready to go home, they usually end up leaving a lot of stuff behind, throwing it out or leaving it near Dumpsters, and the idea is that we can pick it up or they can drop it off,” explained Capt. Mary Matthews, of the army. “We sell it through the thrift stores and that money goes to fund our programs. Whatever they give up will help serve the community.”

The army will collect goodies at different University of Virginia area locations, including the Madison House parking lot, Camden Plaza parking lot, 516 Brandon Ave., Jefferson Park Avenue and Maywood Lane, University Circle at Rugby and Raleigh Apartments. The thrift store can also pick up goodies if donors call 979-5230.

The largess of the learned should secure succor for the insolvent. Furniture and household goods — couches, beds, chairs, blenders, microwaves, and televisions — are the most wanted items. That’s true not only in terms of thrift store sales but in the wants and needs of families facing skyrocketing gasoline, food and utility bills.

“We see it more and more, especially as the gasoline prices rise,” Capt. Matthews explained. “The everyday family is struggling to make payments and cover bills and they’re coming more often for help to pay the heat or electric bill. When the economy’s worse we face a higher demand for service.”

Demand not always met

Unfortunately, the higher demand is not necessarily met by higher income. Donations tend to drop in times of scarcity, affecting the charity’s ability to provide emergency shelter for the homeless, daycare for the working poor and emergency funds for the burned out, burnt out and down and out. Added to that is thrift store competition from charities’ storefront garage sales.

“If you compare the amount of money that came in last year from the store into the programs, it’s a lot less than it was 10 years ago, but it’s more than it was in the previous year,” Capt. Matthews said. “We have more people shopping the stores but we have to have goods on the shelves for them to buy.”

That’s where this year’s crop of exiting educated come in. The goods they would otherwise toss can help furnish another’s homes or put food on a table.

“We don’t want them to just throw stuff away if others can use it,” Capt. Matthews said, “especially when we can help each other.”