A key factor that influences the success of charity shops is the quality of public donations. At Presbyterian Support Otago (PSO) we are thrilled by the quality and quantity of donations that we regularly receive.
One of the challenges that charity shops can face is what to do with unsellable items they receive. The pile of unsellable items collected in the PSO warehouse corner is small, thanks to many thoughtful Dunedin donors.
PSO Warehouse Supervisor Debbie Gyde explains, “I’m always pleasantly surprised by the quality of donations that have come through our doors. I’ve never had to use gloves when sorting donations.”
Over the last year over 100,000 items have been donated to PSO. 10% of the donations into the warehouse are upmarket and high quality items. A number of donated items have not been taken out of their original packaging.
“A good number of donations we receive from the public are freshly washed, folded and stacked neatly which we really appreciate. We can take these items and give them to people who need a hand up, or send them directly to one of our three charity shop in the greater Dunedin area.”
“We take the approach of regularly asking the community for specific types of donations, and our experience has been that people respond really positively to these requests.”
“We do what we can to reuse damaged or unsellable donations items. Often the material can be used by our volunteers to make items like one of our famous reusable bags, or we might be able to remove and sell parts such as the buttons.”
As people are doing a spring clean and sorting items around their homes we welcome their donations. PSO has made it easy for people to pack up and pass them on any donations. The public can order bags and find their nearest drop off point on our website.
100% of donations and proceeds that we receive are used to support the Otago community.
When donating to PSO charity shops we ask people to remember:
- Items must be clean and in good condition
- If you wouldn’t give an items to a friend or neighbour it’s not likely to be something to donate
- We can’t take electrical goods donations
- If you’re unsure about donating an item, please check it with our friendly team
Presbyterian Support Otago charity shops in the last 12 months:
- over 100,000 items donated
- 10% new or high quality donations