Conn collects 15,005 lbs of donations during annual Give ’N Go event

Connecticut College’s Office of Sustainability set a new record with Give ’N Go, an annual student move-out donation program, collecting 15,005 pounds of donations ranging from appliances to clothes to household goods (or, more accurately, dorm room goods) this May.

The program, designed to minimize waste from students departing from campus for the summer, allocates the donations in a number of ways. In partnership with the United Way, the College hosted two Agency Days, during which representatives from local organizations, including Reliance Health, Light House, New London Homeless Hospitality, Thames River Community Services, Head Start, TVCCA, New London Youth, Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, Teamworks, Cap RH, Covenant Shelter, Befriend a Family, and United Child and Family Services, were invited to take the items most helpful to their missions. Approximately 70% of the donations went directly to these agencies.

Any remaining clothes and pillows were sent to Helpsy, a clothing and textile recycling company, while bedding, arm pillows, storage units and shower caddies were sent to Grad Bag, a group that works to provide underserved high school graduates in the Boston and New York City areas with the supplies they will need for their residence hall rooms.

A small portion of the items, including mini fridges, lamps and other items essential to making a dorm room feel like home, were retained by the College to be sold at the annual Give ’N Go Yard Sale held during student move-in days in August. These items are sold at very low cost to students, and the proceeds help fund the Give ’N Go collection efforts.