This month, some Gainesville charities will find that the best donations are only a Dumpster dive away.
Rather than throwing away used furniture, electronics and other goods, people moving out of their apartments can now toss them into a donation Dumpster at Bivens Cove Apartments.
Created by UF's Center for Leadership and Service, this pilot program for off-campus apartment donations began July 21 in the Bivens Cove parking lot.
The donations include anything from large furniture to smaller belongings, which can be left in categorized boxes under a white tent.
Andrew Perrone, assistant director for the center, came up with the idea in spring after some UF students showed interest in helping local apartment complexes donate old or forgotten furniture from residents who had moved out.
They called a few complexes to see what programs were available only to find that none existed.
"We thought we would be helping donation drives rather than thinking up our own," Perrone said.
The students developed their own project to collect donations during the last weeks of July. Mike Still, property manager of Bivens Cove, was willing to give their idea a try.
Perrone said the donations will be picked up from non-profit organizations in Gainesville, such as the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, Christians Concerned for the Community and a program at Gainesville High School.
So far, the drive has collected clothing, shelving units, picture frames, pots and pans, and even a whole three-bedroom apartment's worth of furniture courtesy of Cobblestone Apartments.
Bivens Cove is the only property involved in this project for now, but Perrone said they already have other complexes interested if their program continues next year.
Still said other Paradigm Properties are encouraged to bring unwanted furniture their residents may have left for the cause.
The project will last until July 31 in correlation with leases ending.
