When students begin to move out of the on-campus housing at Grand Valley State University the week of final exams, unwanted items can be donated rather than sent to a landfill. Students will be able to donate any belongings they do not want to take home by placing them in donation boxes, which will be placed in each living center this Friday.

This program, called Project Donation, was started in 2005, said Gloria Myaard, supervisor of Facilities Services.

“As we watched the students move out, we saw a lot of useful items being discarded in the dumpsters that we provide for move out,” Myaard said. “As we began our research we found a lot of campuses had similar programs at the end of the year. We tailored our program to meet the logistic of our campus and a committee was formed to support the effort.”

Salvation Army, Adopt-a-Block and In the Image will collect the donation boxes at the end of finals week.

“This is a wonderful program,” said Matt McLogan, vice president for University Relations. “Many of the things that departing students no longer want still have value and will help those in need. I’m proud to be part of a university that promotes this kind of community support.”

Brenda Mitchner, associate director of Housing, said they hope to collect clothing, nonperishable foods, appliances and furniture.

“Normally, items that are disposed of go into the dumpster,” Mitchner said. “Donating anything to a charity is better than throwing it in a landfill.”

Students will also be able to drop off unwanted electronics at the Community e-Waste Collection event, which will take place April 26 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Lot D on the Allendale Campus, said Steve Leeser, operations supervisor of Facilities Services.

“Facilities Services has done a great job of making the logistics for donation and collection as easy as possible,” said Bart Bartels, project manager of the Sustainable Community Development Initiative.

Myaard said they are unsure how many items have been donated because of the large number of different items be collected, but she considers the project to be a success because students are giving to the community, helping less fortunate individuals.

“Any time you can leave a small footprint, you are making it better for all that come behind us,” Myaard said. “Items that would be placed in the landfill are now being used by people in need in our community.”

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