As summer break begins, the Binghamton Move Out Project offers a way for students to donate their unwanted items.

Christina Fuller ‘19, MPA ‘21 began the project in 2018 to reduce waste as off-campus students pack up their belongings before returning home. The volunteer-run project is coordinated by the Susquehanna Group of the Sierra Club and partners with Binghamton University.

In 2022, the project began operating on campus. This year, on-campus students have until May 20 to drop off items in collection bins at seven locations: the University Union’s donation nook; Appalachian Dining Hall; Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center Multi-purpose Room; College-in-the-Woods Iroquois Commons; Hinman Dining Hall; Susquehanna Coffee House; and Hillside Commons.

From May 14 to 16, volunteers also set up outdoor collection sites at dorm communities.

The Move Out Project accepts a variety of items like books, toys, games, unopened personal care items and small appliances.

Donated items are then sent to a sorting facility before being distributed to community organizations. For the first time, this year’s sorting room is on campus, located in UU120. After all items are weighed and arranged into different categories, volunteers then organize the room “like a thrift store” for donation partners to select from.

“A lot of similar models across the country, they kind of have a sale with this stuff, which we think is great, but we really like that we’re able to give the items back to community organizations who are already working with individuals in need,” Fuller said. “And we’ve heard very positive feedback from that.”

“They get these items that they would have to purchase otherwise to give to their clients, and a lot of nonprofits and churches, stuff like that, they don’t have the funds to do that,” she continued.

During the spring 2023 cycle, the Move Out Project “was able to collect, sort, and donate over 18,000 pounds of material” that would have been sent to the landfill, according to its website.

Donations have made a real impact in the lives of those in the local community, Fuller said. Three years ago, the team received two donated pairs of tap dance shoes. It connected with a local dance studio, which used the shoes for students who might not be able to afford a pair.

That same year, a student donated a giant stuffed teddy bear that was later picked up by the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference, a local organization providing residential support and care for children and their families.

The teddy bear is now in a pediatrician’s office used by the Children’s Home.

“Over the years, we’ve significantly expanded our on-campus collections and have heard great feedback from students who say if they weren’t able to donate to MOP, their items would’ve ended up in the trash,” Fuller wrote in a statement. “Instead, we make sure they get back into the community.”

Students can donate nonperishable foods like canned goods and unopened snacks. Fuller said that Chris Harasta, volunteer coordinator for the Move Out Project and sustainability manager for Binghamton University Dining Services, reached out to a national hunger relief group and arranged for it to send enough bags for every campus dorm. The food is then distributed to the University Food Pantry and other donation partners.

For seniors not planning to keep their cap and gown, the project team is partnering with the Student Association and TRIO to collect graduation regalia to help future students attend commencement.

Volunteers will drive and pick up items from off-campus students through May 31. Last year, the Move Out Project received about 60 pickup requests, Fuller said. The team advertises on graduate listservs while connecting with large housing companies to boost student awareness.

It also reached out to Off Campus Programs and Services and the SA’s Off Campus College Council to spread the word about its services.

“I absolutely love this program and would commend each and every person who participates,” wrote Ryan Yarosh ‘02, MPA ‘09, the University’s senior director of media and public relations. “Beyond the impact on the community, we’re also keeping all of this stuff out of the landfill, which is so important as well.”