BY BRITTNEY BARSOTTI/ SPECIAL TO XPRESS

In previous years, the massive move out from the dorms at the end of the year resulted in mounds of items spilling into the halls.

“Everything was piled in the hallways, you couldn’t close the doors,” said Caitlin Steele, the sustainability programs manager at SF State.

It was not until Jim Bolinger, the University property manager at SF State, looked around and saw that many of those items could be recycled or repossessed.

This year marks the fourth annual Give ‘n’ Go donation drive for a Sustainable Move Out at SF State.

Partnering with Goodwill, San Francisco Food Bank, and the Larkin Street Youth Center, SF State plans to divert over 50,000 pounds of recyclable goods, preventing them from going to the landfill. Last year the organizations collected 49,000 pounds of recycled books, clothes and electronics, according to Michael Bongiorni, the donations manager for Goodwill.

“We at Goodwill are proud that students at SFSU see moving out as a sustainable event, not only to keep things out of landfills but to help provide jobs for the community,” Bongiorni said.

Each year the clothes and books are collected and sent to Goodwill stores to be sold and recycled.

“I chose to donate to the Goodwill because of the convenience,” said junior Alison Michael, a 22-year-old history major at SF State. “I had a lot of clothes and the bins were very accessible. It helped out with the moving process because I won’t have to pack as much. Plus I feel better knowing that the clothes are going to a good cause.”

Last year was the first year that San Francisco Food Bank partnered with SF State and collected over 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food to distribute back into the community, according to Steele. Last year was also the first year that SF State collected toiletries and cleaning supplies to donate to local homeless shelters.

According to Steele and Bongiorni, the project began when Bolinger noticed that many of the items that students were leaving behind were reusable. Soon afterward the partnership with Goodwill began and the project has continued to grow and expand.

“It’s a great way for the University to support the local community and organizations that support the city of San Francisco,” said Steele. “The goal is to continue
the program and to educate students on how much better it is to donate their items instead of put into them into landfill.”

In efforts to inform students of the program and its benefits, a Youtube video and webstory have been created in partnership with Goodwill. Also, the University has sent out resident-wide emails and maintains a sustainable list serve. The resident assistants in the dorms have also announced the event at their mandatory end-of-the-year dorm meetings.

There will be a 48-foot donation truck located outside the Towers at Centennial Square on SF State campus today from noon to 6 p.m., and Thursday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be bins located around campus where students can donate clothing, books and electronics. Attendants will be available to assist students with the process.