A canvas print with the message, “You can do amazing things,” was carefully placed in a bin by Evie Nikokavouras as she carried another load to her car during move-out out last spring. The freshman laughed and said, “It’s time. I need a new quote for next year.”
But her artwork wasn’t headed for the landfill. Instead, it’ll hang on someone else’s wall. She donated it to Pass It On, a program coordinated by University Housing Services and the Office of Sustainability, where students donate gently used items to those in need.
All of those area rugs, fans, dust mops, desk lamps, and mirrors that parents squeezed into vehicles last August have to go somewhere during move-out, and students don’t always have as much help when they leave, said Mary Campbell, a retired professor from the School of Social Work, where the program started.
“When they come to campus, their families brought them in the van they borrowed from their neighbor and by the time finals are done, they’re getting home any way they can,” she said, with a laugh.
Bins in residence hall lobbies and at Cardinal Court were stacked high with clothes, coats, shoes, bed linens, canned vegetables, ramen, and a feathered Halloween costume.
“Occasionally we got an entire room wrapped up in a sheet, but that was rare,” Campbell said, adding the items are usually in good condition.
“In all the years we did it, the students were so respectful. Sometimes they would wash their linens. You could smell the softener.”
Pass it On started in 1990 in Campbell’s community development class. The assignment was to create and carry out a project that would make a difference in the community. It was the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, and the environment was on students’ minds. They wanted to do something that would benefit the planet and low-income residents and were upset about what they saw tossed in dumpsters during move-out.
From left: Elisabeth Reed, Mary Campbell, Elizabeth Thomason, and Taylor Barnard.
Out of that came the idea that all the coffeemakers, books, school supplies, clothing, food, and furnishings could be donated to the community. Students met with University staff on how to make it happen, promising they’d collect and deliver donations, and they did.
Pass It On began with two bins in the lobbies of residence halls, one for clothing and one for household items. Since there was no social media, they posted flyers throughout campus.
“These students did an amazing job, so amazing, I couldn’t let it go,” Campbell said, of her willingness to take it over the next year. “We made a promise that we would never sell one item. We would give it all away, and we did.”
Other University partners stepped forward, including University Housing Services, the Department of Military Sciences, and the Office of Sustainability. For several years, the University’s Army ROTC cadets have picked up and delivered donations. Last spring, they loaded a box truck four times a day and unloaded it at Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Bloomington food and clothing pantry.
The collection also happens during finals week in December, and the Office of Sustainability collects donations year-round. Students living off campus are also encouraged to participate.
Ce-Ce Brookins, assistant director of the Office of Residential Life, University Housing, has been involved since she was a residence hall coordinator in 2010.
“They were so thankful. I don’t know if we do a good enough job of telling our students ‘Thank you’ for donating. It keeps things out of the landfill but also really shows their generosity and thinking of others.”
Ce-Ce Brookins
“Whatever a student can put in their room, we’ve probably seen at least one of them,” she said. “It’s just an excellent opportunity for our students, especially for those who may not be as active in community service or service to others, to just dip a toe into what this work can do. It’s an easy way to give back to the community.”
Brookins has had an opportunity to meet some of the recipients of the donations.
“They were so thankful,” she said. “I don’t know if we do a good enough job of telling our students ‘Thank you’ for donating. It keeps things out of the landfill but also really shows their generosity and thinking of others.”
Sophomore Izzy Harder was moving out of Watterson Towers last spring and knew she wouldn’t need twin-sized bedding in her apartment. She planned on giving it to Goodwill before she noticed the bin. Her mother, Catherine Harder, was thrilled with the program.
“I am so glad you are doing this,” she said. “Too many times things are being thrown out. If anybody can use it in
the community, refugees, those in foster care, anyone, that is awesome.”
Four years ago, Elisabeth Reed, director of the Office of Sustainability, took over coordinating the program from Campbell.
“So much credit goes to Housing for all the work they do on this,” she said. “It’s a fabulous program, a great Redbird story, and a great program for our community. If more people get to know about this, we can expand those efforts even further. We’re getting items into the hands of people in need.”
One of the ideas to expand the program led to a permanent Pass it On box located outside of the Sustainability office. Stocked mainly with toiletries and school supplies, it’s similar in size to a little library.
“The idea is eventually to create more of these boxes around campus where we can continue that idea of Pass it On all year long,” Reed said.
Another campus partner that makes the program work is the Military Science Department. Lt. Col. Kraig Kline ’99, M.S. ’03, professor and department chair, lines up ROTC cadets for loading and unloading donations.
“I try to reiterate with cadets how critical it is to be a part of not only the University community but the larger community,” he said. “This is a perfect opportunity to reinforce how important it is in their development as future leaders to be part of something that gives back.”
Cadet Ivan Arreola was in charge of making sure all shifts were covered.
“I try to put myself in places where people might need help,” the senior said. “The school does a lot for us, so we try and do whatever the University needs.”
Five cadets worked two-hour shifts to load donations and deliver them to the food and clothing pantry. The organization received so much that it ran out of room but did share items with other nonprofits.
Dorothy Deany ’67, M.S. ’78, vice president of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, oversaw the donations. Nearly 300 people line up for groceries every Monday, she said. Besides the food, clothing, towels, and bedding students donated, there was a cart full of area rugs that were gone in no time, she said.
“We appreciate everything we get. It was kind of overwhelming. There were three days they brought several truckloads. People are so generous.”
And that generosity will likely grow. Reed would like to expand the program to include a centrally located donation site so that off-campus students could donate as well. And it’s possible some of those items might be recycled back to the residence halls they came from.
In addition to recycling 700 pounds of metal, 300 pounds of electronics, and 180 pounds of plastic from items students couldn’t use last spring, University Recycling Coordinator Andrew Bennett collected mini-fridges, mirrors, shelving, and plastic storage bins that Reed hopes to offer to students moving back in this fall.
“So many of these items have a lot of life left,” she said.
