135 W. CENTRAL BLVD., SUITE 320 ORLANDO, FL 32801
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
WWW.DEWITTLAW.COM
407-245-7723
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
PHONE AVAILABLE 24/7 (OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY–FRIDAY, 9 A.M.–5 P.M.)
Learn About the Helmet Heads of Florida's Back-to-School Helmet Drive!
1
Meet the Man Who Stole the ‘Mona Lisa’
2 2
This Month on the DeWitt Law Review
Your National Book Day Reading List
3
Peach and Arugula Pasta Salad
3
Are Your Thrift Store Donations Being Thrown Away?
4
Are Your Thrift Store Donations Being Thrown Away?
Are you thinking about donating your kids’ old clothes or that slow cooker you haven’t used in months? Though donating your unwanted items is a great thing to do, amid the pandemic, many people have not considered the future of secondhand shopping and charity-based thrift stores like Goodwill. In 2018, Goodwill funded nearly $5.3 billion in charitable services, like educational assistance, job training, and work placements. But now, Goodwill and similar organizations are facing a unique problem: They’re receiving too many donations. To prevent your items from ending up in a landfill, consider the following before you donate. Under the circumstances, this situation is understandable. Thanks to nationwide stay- at-home orders, many took advantage of their newfound spare time to spring-clean and subsequently donate unwanted items to charity. However, with the confusion about how long the COVID-19 virus can live on clothing, secondhand shoppers have
been staying home, worried about the health risks of buying used goods.
Kenya, the world’s largest buyer of unsold secondhand clothes, have stopped buying during the economic shutdown. Meanwhile, some good-intentioned Americans are leaving their goods outside thrift stores’ front doors, not realizing that without enough space to house the excess donations, many of these thrift stores will have to pay disposal fees, costing the business potential revenue and sending your items into local landfills. However, Goodwill still wants your donations! You just might have to hold on to your items for a little bit. Check to see if your local thrift stores are open for donations. Many recommend waiting until the influx slows down, but others have expanded their inventory storage and are ready to keep up. Just make sure to follow their guidelines on acceptable items because any broken or worn items only add to their costs. Happy donating!
Famously, thrift stores still keep unsold goods out of landfills. Up to 75% of Goodwill’s merchandise, for example, isn’t sold in their stores. Instead, it’s sent to discount outlets and then into global markets. However, Mexican traders, who account for 30% of business at thrift stores close to the U.S. southern border, and
4 | WWW.DEWITTLAW.COM
PERSONAL INJURY - DIVORCE - REAL ESTATE
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker