“Out with the old and in with the new” is a saying that comes to mind when we arrive at Nova Vita during the month of January to see our donations bin overflowing with garbage bags and boxes, filled with everything from gently used clothing to toys, books, shoes, boots, and sometimes even garbage. We are always so grateful for the incredible generosity of our community but I will be honest with you that we are equally perplexed by some of the items that are simply dumped curbside and left for our dedicated volunteers and staff to meticulously go through.
As a result of the annual January purge, we are finding that our bin is filling quickly and as a result we are having to lock it once it is full. This makes for some rather unpleasant interactions with frustrated donors. We don’t mean to upset you, we are trying our best with safety as our top priority, and working with limited storage space, staffing and volunteers.
We have a solution, and we hope you can help to spread the word…
We gratefully ask that all donations be “the best of the best” when bringing them to Nova Vita. Clothing, towels, and linen that are worn out, dirty, stained, ripped, and/or out of season are not helpful and in fact strain the limited resources we are working with. Our volunteers work tirelessly to find those treasures within the heaping mountain of bags to help give a boost to the women and their families of Nova Vita.
So, the next time, you clean out your closets ask yourself: would I want my child or friend to wear this? Will it bring joy and dignity to the next owner? Would I wear it again in a pinch? Is it in season? If the answer is no to any of these questions, then they probably aren’t a good fit for Nova Vita and won’t help give hope to those women and children who have come to Nova Vita to escape a life of violence. After-all, wouldn’t you agree that they deserve the very best we can offer them?
Here is a list of items we can accept in our donations bin:
- New and like-new clothing for women, children, and babies
- New and like-new shoes and boots that are clean
- New and like-new handbags, luggage, jewellery and accessories
- New and like-new towels, dishtowels, and linens (no king size please)
Here is a list of items we cannot accept:
- Used toys
- Used baby gear and equipment
- Furniture – yes even cribs and nursing chairs we cannot use
- Used household appliances, décor items, pictures, and breakables
For more information about how you can make a difference, please check out our website or call our Community Development Manager, Anne at 519-752-1005 x228. Thank you – together we can make a difference.
