Thousands of dollars that could be going to new medical equipment are instead being paid to a disposal company to remove “garbage” being dumped at the Delta Hospital Auxiliary’s thrift shop operation in Ladner Village.
It’s a problem the non-profit volunteer-based society has had to deal with for years and there’s been an uptick of unsellable items of late. The auxiliary is a champion contributor to Delta Hospital, having recently donated more than $500,000 from its operations.
A fire back in December resulted in the donation drop-off area being temporary moved across Delta Street. There are currently two designated days donations are accepted, but that doesn’t stop junk from showing up at all hours. Plenty of furniture is also being discarded even though the designated store has been closed since the fire. The society is paying $1,400 monthly to have the items taken to the landfill.
“On the whole, the public has been really, really respectful and really good. It just seems in the last month or so we are getting furniture, beds and sideboards. I don’t know if it’s people moving or that there was no spring clean-up this year, but it’s been an ongoing thing of late,” said Thrift Shops Coordinator Joanna James.
“I’m a total environmentalist and one of my things as coordinator is cutting down our garbage, which means educating the public and not giving us chipped plates, broken glasses and dirty clothes that we have to put in the garbage.”
The donation drop-off area will at least be moving back across the street. The temporary location has now been leased, starting next month. Instead, a 40x12 ft. modular will be located in the parking lot and the operation will up-and-running again soon after.
“It’s been really hard on our volunteers,” added James, of clothing and household items having to be constantly trekked from the donation quarantine area to the stores. “Sometimes you are making 50 trips a day. We will have an announcement in the coming days of when we will be taking donations again at the new location.”
Meanwhile, construction to re-build the fire damaged area is expected to finally proceed and should take about three months to complete.
“We’ve been told it will take 93 days and I plan on having a sign in front counting down each day to remind them,” laughed James.
