Every year college students leave behind literally tons of unwanted items when they head for home in May. All these valuable things could very well end up in Brunswick's landfill if it weren't for Dump and Run. This nationwide project is designed to reduce the amount of solid waste that ends up in landfills every spring while at the same time to earn money for local charities.
One of the largest Dump and Run sales in the country takes place at Penn State University. Last year it collected 66 tons of reusable goods and six tons of food for local food pantries. Piles of clothes, stuffed animals, computers, stereo equipment, CDs, costumes, posters, toys, food, and everything else you've ever seen in a dorm room are left behind.
The sale is in its third year at Bowdoin and is expected to be bigger than ever. The first year, 35 tons of belongings were collected, resulting in $11,700 for local charitable organizations. Last year the total revenue increased to just over $18,300.
Collection sites will be appearing in dorms as the end of the year gets closer. Goods will then be sorted, priced, and moved to Dayton Arena by volunteers from local agencies that receive a share of the profits. Last year 21 different groups helped make the sale a success. Volunteers from church groups, sports teams, mentoring programs, and individuals logged a total of 1,554 hours, with proceeds awarded proportionally to how many hours each group contributed. Recipients of the proceeds include: Brunswick's Sister City, the Big Brother/Big Sister program, Habitat for Humanity, the Mt. Ararat Wrestling team, and several churches in Brunswick. One of the top contributors and thus top recipients of proceeds is a local woman who recruits her friends and family to help her raise money for a school in Tanzania.
Unopened food is also accepted and is donated to the Mid-Coast Hunger Prevention Program (MCHPP), which serves families in the Brunswick area with a soup kitchen, food pantry, and meals for the elderly. Last year MCHPP served 28,365 meals in its soup kitchen and dispensed enough food for 70,140 meals from their food pantry. Instead of hauling home a car full of Ramen and Mac and Cheese you could donate your UNOPENED food to Dump and Run; volunteers will deliver it to MCHPP for distribution to local families. Laundry detergent and personal hygiene products can also be left at collection sites and will be given away to needy families.
Instead of throwing away unwanted dorm room decorations, clothes, books, appliances, school supplies, and food when you head home in a couple of weeks, why not recycle them and contribute to a good cause at the same time? Keep an eye out for Dump and Run collection boxes in dorms, and stay tuned for collection dates at campus apartments.