Dealing with unusable items being dropped off at a Tulsa area charity

Wednesday, June 1st 2005, 2:40 pm

By: News On 6

Some careless citizens are stealing money from a Tulsa area charity. They're not robbing the place outright, but they are costing it thousands of dollars by leaving obviously unusable items as "donations".

The Gatesway Foundation then has to pay to dispose of the trash. The non-profit group helps people with developmental disabilities. It raises money by re-selling community donations. But piles of junk left outside the store are taking a big chunk of that money, between $300 and $600 every week in disposal fees.

Workers say it's become obvious that people are just trying to get rid of their garbage for free. Gatesway Thrift Store manager Will Mott: "we have wonderful customers, many wonderful customers and we get unbelievable donations, things of value, with thought put into them, but this is not, this is not what we're here for."

Mott is very thankful for the many people who with good intentions bring by gently used or even new items.

The best way to ensure your donation gets to someone who needs it is by dropping it off during store hours. You can also arrange for a pickup by calling Gatesway at 251-2118.