The Roselle Park First Aid Squad (RPFAS) parking lot has a new shed that allows residents to drop off used clothing they no longer need while helping out the RPFAS at the same time.
Unlike other donation bins, the drop-off station looks more like an attractive storage shed rather than a metallic dumpster.
The shed is supplied by Turnkey Enterprises, an Alpha, New Jersey company that, according to their website, uses donations as clothing and are never cut into rags. The clothing is sold to sorting houses that distribute the clothes around the nation as well as other countries.
The benefit to the community is that the RPFAS gets paid for every pound of clothing donated to the drop-off shed, thereby helping defray the cost of RPFAS purchases that are usually covered by traditional donations throughout the year or taxes in the case of the purchase this year of a new ambulance.
A notice on the shed reads that “Approximately 30% of the sale price of the clothing collected at each site is paid to the sponsoring organization on a monthly basis.”
Turnkey stated on their website that in addition to supplying the shed, they obtain all necessary permits, install the shed, maintain the appearance of the shed as well as insurance.
Acceptable items for the donation shed include:
- All Clothing
- Shoes
- Sneakers
- Belts
- Purses
- Blankets
- Sheets
- Pillowcases
- Drapes
- Stuffed Toys
Rags, fabric scraps, toys, and household goods are not accepted at the drop-off shed since there is an expense for disposing of such items.
Residents are asked to put donations in plastic bags that are tied closed in order to keep them clean and dry.
Anyone with questions can contact RPFAS at (908) 245-3470 or Turnkey Enterprises, LLC (link) at (908) 213-9202.
The drop-off shed is located in the rear of the RPFAS parking lot at 535 Laurel Avenue and is open 24 hours a day.