WCCC Blog

This resource information is shared courtesy of Mark Riley, Executive Director of PV Shelter (via Tom Reefe). Mark says that this program has been a great resource for the families his organization works with.

Tri-County In-Kind Donation Program
Sponsored by the Seniors Council of San Benito & Santa Cruz Counties
In Community Partnership with the United Way of Monterey County

The first year of operation of the Tri-County In-Kind Donation Program was a great success. Over $750,000 worth of store returns, unsold inventories, and floor models were distributed to 54 member agencies operating 73 human and social service programs in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties. On average it cost 4.5 cents for an agency to acquire $1.00 worth of goods – a reality that far exceeded our most optimistic cost-to-value estimates when we started out.

Goods for the poor, frail, elderly, and disadvantaged were distributed at shopping days scheduled for every other month: December, February, April, June, August, and October. Items included a full range of personal care products, kitchen and bathroom accessories, bedding and linens, appliances, office supplies, furniture & household goods, hardware, children’s books & toys, and lots more.

Shopping days were intense – even a bit hectic. We tried shopping by appointment for member agencies, but that was unsuccessful because not enough goods were left for agencies with later appointments to the warehouse. So, in order to guarantee equal access to all goods, representatives of member agencies now enter the warehouse at the same time. It moves the goods. What took days and weeks for volunteers to unpack and distribute across the warehouse are gone in a very short time. For example, at our last shopping day on October 4th, most of the $90,000 of inventory in the warehouse, was claimed in 35 minutes by the more than 50 agency representatives who attended.

The Tri-County In-Kind Donation Program has been a success, because of the generosity and cooperation of many individuals and organizations. Start-up funds were provided by grants from the Community Foundations of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties and Bay Federal Credit Union. Many thanks to all of them.

If your organization is not a member of the Tri-County In-Kind Donation Program, join now. Contact Tom Reefe, the Program Director at 475-0816 x. 16 or Lscc@cruzio.com for details.