Several years ago I called Good Will to donate an overstuffed chair. Their answer was put it on the front porch and we'll see. The chair was about 5 years old, the fabric wasn't torn or even particularly worn, the fabric wasn't "soiled". It was however, dusty. You know - that city dusty that sorta settles in. The kind that comes out with one of those little green steam machines - which I didn't own. I really liked that chair. It was just too big for my new house - Baltimore alley houses are about 11 feet wide.

The note they left was pretty snide - we'd have to clean this before we could utilize it. So much for teaching people skills. I'm thinking, "are they so clueless they don't know how "in demand" a formerly unemployed person with upholstery skills would be?"

Ever since then the veins in my neck stand up when someone say's, "why don't you give it to Goodwill." It's a shame my experience is so universal.

Well, not like any self-respecting homo should be donating to Salvation Army, which considerably cuts down on choices.

I guess there's always the recycle company that I can pay to take my old stuff away; no one's going to complain when they turn over a profit and since they don't have customers to turn around and sell that stuff to, I guess it's a win when they don't yell at you.

I do think it's important to know that "a company that supposedly exists to provide services for poor people, [is] hiring a security guard to make sure that these same poor people don't steal any of the merchandise that Goodwill got for free!" Someone out there is going to go on about businesses needing to protect their merchandise, so let me just make two points here: the stuff comes in for free; criminalising the population that's supposed to benefit from having a place to find stuff for cheap because, well, it's cheap, seems the dementedly wrong way to go. There's something very Dickensian-poor-house about that - like slapping the hands of people who reach for gruel (if you'll forgive the pathology there). This may not be as simple as "customer relations," but about figuring different relations with the community. There are lots of different ways of keeping an "eye" on the merchandise.

I think we tend to give a pass to non-profits in general because they've cloaked themselves in a cloak of piety. But, really, I've often thought these are the pseudo-corporations that are a lot more evil than the for-profits. What's that line from Alien? When Ripley comments to the android Bishop about the alien monsters, "You admire them," and his response is something like, "Yes, because, they're pure killing machines." Which is to say, they exist for one thing only and they don't hide it. Kinda how I feel about corporations.

But we don't have Goodwills here, and the other thrift chains, like Village Discount, Unique and, of course, the ubiquitous Salvation Army don't, as far as I know, make any claims about training people. Again, a lot more honest, I think.

Mattilda, this is something you might want to try to replicate in San Francisco.

http://www.freestorebaltimore.org

The collect up stuff people no longer need, and give it to people who need the stuff. It is a pretty cool collaboration.

I think we have to remember the smell of a thrift store and imagine it much worse to appreciate why they don't want to necessarily take in unclean fabric items or furniture. (Oh yes, I love thrifts, Chicago has dozens of them in the real neighborhoods (Yazmin evidently does not know) benefiting Amvets, among others. The real holy grail of a thrift shop is a Salvation Army shop off of Grand Avenue just East of Halsted which contains some of the most delectable goodies. All the best antiques and china. This particular store benefits substance abuse victims and their too frequently abused families. I do not care about the Salvation Army's stance on GLBT issues if they are helping children and families.

In Palm Beach "Goodwill of the Palm Beaches" keeps a store on Palm Beach island with a similar theme, but concentrating on assisting unwed mothers.

When you talk about the two billion they generate it also pays to remember that their rents are not free, their staff is paid so they can be fired if they are brain dead, the sorting centers are very labor intensive, and...those clothes that are deemed unsaleable go to the third world. Children and families in the poorest countries in the world are clothed by Goodwill Industries. About half of the clothing donated to Goodwill Industries is exported around the world.

Now Mattilda, if you have a problem with either security or sales staff you know how to contact their customer complaint department. I have to disagree with you that they are any type of racket. They are imperfect, but much better than organized religion. :) Peace,

Maybe the security guard is learning valuable job skills? That's a job that's in high demand post-9/11....

A German owned grocery chain in Chicago is called "ALDI" and they specialize in foodstuffs at low prices. Their security guards can be a pain because they "get in your face." At least, until they met me who asked: "Who in the hell do you think you are talking to?" This guard was yelling at a little old lady to get her cart in a straighter line at the checkouts. After a conversation with the store manager on behalf of the Spanish speaking elder the security guard was replaced.

Sounds like he found his way to San Francisco. Sorry about that Mattilda.