Celebrate Earth Day by donating clothes
Today The Salvation Army joins millions of people in 192 countries in celebrating the 45th anniversary of Earth Day.
This week we are partnering with dozens of local businesses like Clear Edge Technical Fabrics in Brooklyn Park to collect clothing donations for Salvation Army stores.
Store sales go directly to support The Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center in Minneapolis, which offers free or affordable drug and alcohol rehabilitation to men who need it. Clothing makes up about half of store sales, so the need is critical.
“We are in desperate need of clothing, so this is an opportunity for people to reduce their carbon footprint while helping others in need,” said Michel Wong, director of product develop at Salvation Army stores.
The stores are planning another drive at area businesses in May. If you’d like to sign up, contact Michel Wong at 612-332-5855. The Salvation Army will drop off collection barrels at your business and pick them up.
To donate clothing at any time, find a store or drop-box near you to drop them off or log on to www.minneapolis.satruck.org to arrange a pick-up.
Green upgrades
The Salvation Army store in Elk River is proving that what’s good for the environment can also be good for business. During a November 2014 renovation, the 24,000-square-foot facility swapped out old lights that were expensive and inefficient and replaced them with LED lights.
“The [old] bulbs were antiquated and very expensive to replace – we were out there at least twice a month replacing 30 to 40 bulbs at a time,” said Jack Kinney, director of operations for the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center.
The new LED lighting not only reduces their carbon dioxide footprint by a whopping 160,000 pounds, but the new bulbs are projected to last seven years and save the store more than $9,000 a year in electricity bills.
Improved lighting also translates into a better customer experience, which is good for sales.
The Salvation Army plans to install the same type of energy efficient lighting in the new store slated to be built on the east side of St. Paul.
Rescued Food
The Salvation Army is on a mission to rescue good food that would otherwise go to waste. Every year we pick up tens of thousands of pounds of food from area grocery stores and restaurants that can’t use it, because it’s close to (but not past) it’s expiration date.
Some of those donations are turned into hot meals that feed over 1,000 people each day at one of our centers. The rest are packed in grocery bags for people to take home from our food shelves. That adds up to a huge savings, which allows The Salvation Army to serve even more people.
“God bless the grocery stores and restaurants that give us rescued food. Their generosity allows us to also serve people a healthier menu,” said Lt. Col. Robert Thomson, Salvation Army Northern Division commander.
Your donations help support these and other vital Salvation Army programs.