No More Donations At Local Hurricane Harvey Collection Site
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A local non-profit designated to receive in-kind donations for Hurricane Harvey evacuees in the Dallas area says it will no longer accept donated items.
Trusted World says it reached all collection goals and will now serve solely as a sorting operation.
Traffic last week backed up down the Dallas Parkway as people came from as far as Wisconsin with truckloads of bottled water, diapers, and clothes.
"A lot of people come and drop off and don't realize it has to be organized and go somewhere," said Kim Pariza, who spent the Labor Day weekend as a volunteer, helping move piles of boxes.
Trusted World leased a new 340,000 square foot warehouse specifically to house all the items. "This is a major operation and it has serious needs as far as hand trucks and dollies and forklifts," explained Taylor Grey, the organization's community relations coordinator.
The organizartion is trying to bring order to the chaos that an overwhelming amount donations can sometimes bring, taking over collections and sorting for charities like the American Red Cross.
Even at Trusted World, though, cash is the most practical donation people can give. "Because if you don't have something, you can just go and buy it. You don't have to worry about the logistics of getting it to someone," said Grey.
Charities know, though, people are often much more willing to give physical goods than cash. "There's no emotion to writing a check… usually. Depends on how big the check is," chuckled Grey.
The organization says it now needs volunteers to sort the donations. Anyone interested in helping can show up at 3000 W Kingsley Road in Garland between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Click here to find out more information.