Donation Dumping Out Of Control At Oneonta Salvation Army

Yesterday on The Salvation Army Oneonta NY facebook page, a message was posted to area residents: 

We need your help to stop this! Please drop off donations when we are open 9-5 Monday - Friday!

It is evident why they posted this after viewing photos taken of piled up donations which

were dropped off over the weekend.  People may not realize that there is no one to deal with weekend donations at the Salvation Army located at 25 River Street and anything dropped off gets dumped near the donation containers and is exposed to the weather.  When it rains, items get ruined and the Salvation Army has to pay to have the items hauled off as garbage to the Transfer Station in Oneonta.

This vicious cycle of weekend donation dumping has been going on for years according to Major Sharon Harford of the Oneonta Salvation Army, who spoke to me months ago about this very issue.

It's wonderful to donate gently used items to the Salvation Army (no garbage please!) BUT to drop it off during a weekend is counter-productive and only hurts the Salvation Army financially since they have to get rid of it. You can bring items to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop on Main Street on Saturdays if a weekday drop doesn't work for you.

Below are more pictures showing the giant pile of items dropped off.