SALISBURY — The very first Donation Drop Spot in North Carolina has found a home in Salisbury.
Savers Thrift’s Donation Drop Spot, as shared in a release, accepts gently used clothing and housewares on behalf of a local nonprofit organization. The collected items are then taken to Savers Thrift stores where they are given a second chance and sold.
The Salisbury Donation Drop Spot location has partnered with the American Red Cross and will be donating all of the proceeds from the donations to the Red Cross, said Oscar Ortiz, regional manager for the company.
“We are a for-profit company,” said Ortiz, “however, all the proceeds, all the donations, we are able to turn into critical funds for the American Red Cross and 100 percent goes to them and their needs.”
A grand opening celebration was held on Sept. 30 at the Donation Drop Spot location, 251 Faith Road, Salisbury, along with a ribbon cutting ceremony with refreshments and special check presentation.
Dr. Christine Lynn, president of the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce welcomed everyone to the event.
“We are thrilled to be doing a ribbon cutting today for Donation Drop Spot, and we’re thrilled to have you as a new member,” she said.
Salisbury Council member Carlton Jackson also provided remarks welcoming the group to Salisbury and said “it’s a wonderful city, not very big, only about 40,000 citizens but with a heart.”
He said how having them there can be seen as another “feather in the cap of our city and another plus for the entire community. Thank you for choosing Salisbury,” and noted that it is his understanding that Salisbury “is the first place that you’ve done this in North Carolina.”
When Ortiz said yes, the crowd cheered and applauded and gave shouts of “we’re the first.”
Ortiz thanked them for the welcome to the city and said that “when they first came to the area, we knew we were home, and it’s felt like that ever since, welcoming us with open arms.”
Ortiz said they selected Salisbury as the site based on multiple things noting that the city’s welcoming them with open arms as being the biggest thing.
“I think when the community invites you in to be a part of their fabric, I think that’s where we thrive the most. And that’s where it started,” he said.
Ortiz noted that they got their permitting and were able to set up shop and have been here for approximately a month and half, adding that they wanted to provide training for the team members and allow them to get their footing and to make sure “we are streamlined and we are giving the best possible donor experience.”
He took the opportunity to introduce the team members who were there for the event and explained how when donors come, the team would be there to help them and all they need to do is pull up and the team would take the items from their trunks and properly store them inside.
The Donation Drop Spot is open everyday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Brooke Evans, who serves as director of donations for the company, explained how they collect the donated goods and then weight them by the pound, which is how they pay the American Red Cross. Then, they take the items to the Savers Thrift store and everything that can be sold they price and put out, and the items they can’t or don’t sell they recycle.
“We send them to Third World countries, or we look for ways like metal recycling or electronic recycling. Anything we can recycle that people bring to us, we find a way to recycle it,” she said, noting how passionate they are about the environment and keeping things out of landfills.
Evans said that by doing this, they are able to help the Red Cross, they provide a location for people to bring their donations which don’t end up in the garbage, and they help the environment.
The actual items are not donated to those who may experience a need, but Ortiz explained that the money that is generated from the donated items is given to the American Red Cross, and “they are able to supplement their funds to where they see fit. If that means a hotel room for the person who had a fire or if that means food or that means some clothing, then they will get fresh clothing. They will not get used clothing and stuff like that.”
Sheila Crunkleton, executive director of the Southern Piedmont Chapter for the American Red Cross, which covers Rowan County as well as Cabarrus, Union, Anson, Stanly and Montgomery, was on hand for the ceremony.
“They are a national organization, same as us,” Crunkleton said. “When they got the opportunity to choose a local partner, they understand that we have the connection not only nationally, but we have a local footprint as well. So it gave them the opportunity to have an organization that they could partner with, and we’re very grateful for that.”
She said that Donation Drop Spot takes care of everything when it comes to the donations and then “they just make the donation to the Red Cross. So it’s a win-win, an amazing opportunity” and as the ceremony concluded, Ortiz presented the Red Cross with a check for $1,000.
“This will stay local, and it will help our local community,” Crunkleton said. “So thank you so much.”
