Dorm Leftovers Collected To Help Those In Need, Support Environment
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4)- In an effort to support environmental sustainability, while helping those in need, Colorado State University launched a new campaign to recycle goods thrown out by freshmen in the dorms.
In past years, CSU collected leftover items from the dormitories and sold the items in their campus surplus store.
However, with a growing student body population, the university decided the process of collecting the items for profit was becoming too costly.
"We had 55,000 pounds of material donated by students last year," said Tonie Miyamoto, Vice President of Student Affairs at CSU.
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For the first time, CSU collaborated with dozens of local organizations, to donate the leftover dormitory items to those in need.
"A lot of this stuff just goes in to the landfill," said Matt Goering, member of Homeless Gear in Fort Collins.
Goering said the donations would help the homeless population in Fort Collins better survive.
"I think, as Fort Collins grows, that population grows with it," Goering said. "This is going to be awesome for us. We are always scrounging to find the stuff we need to help people get by, to survive, and to thrive in the situations they are in."
Bedding, clothing, hangers, electronics, bikes and food were all collected for donation.
The university collected micro-fridges, and microwaves, for their surplus store sale.
Volunteers collected the items from students as they moved out of the dorms. The items were then organized in semi-trailers, and taken away for distribution.
"We are keeping things out of the landfill, but also helping those in our community who most need it," Miyamoto said.
"It is really awesome that it is going to be circular, and used back in this community," said Maggie Gilman, a student. "Yesterday, we found a really nice printer."
The university said this was a testing phase for the donations process. If successful, they hoped to make the donations process a tradition for years to come.
Goering said the donations would be slowly distributed to those in need starting Monday. The items will make their way to new owners in Fort Collins, and other cities along the Front Range.
Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.