Beginning this week, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to donate gently used personal and household items through Residential & Dining Enterprises’ annual Summer Give & Go donation program, which aims to make sustainability simple and impactful.
Donate your bike
Bikes are one of the most requested items. Your donation can provide someone with reliable transportation, exercise, access to work or school, and a greener way to travel. Learn how to donate your bike.
Now in its 11th year, the R&DE annual Give & Go program, running June 4-17, blends environmental responsibility with community support in pursuit of Stanford’s zero waste goals. Donations are distributed to local nonprofit organizations including Goodwill and Recycle for Change as well as Stanford’s First-Generation and/or Low-Income (FLI) Student Program.
Then, in the fall, R&DE will partner with Students for a Sustainable Stanford (SSS) and the First-Generation/Low Income Partnership (FLIP) to host FLI Drive, which aims to provide high-need items such as bikes, microwaves, and other useful household goods to students who might not otherwise have access to them.
How to participate in Give & Go
Gather usable items you no longer need.
Locate an Alpaca donation station near your residence.
Drop off your items from June 4 through June 17.
Over the last 10 years, R&DE’s Summer Give & Go program has successfully redirected some 612 tons of usable items from landfills to individuals and organizations in need. Last year, this included
3 tons of non-perishable food, a 40% increase over the previous year
2.8 tons of mattress toppers
197 bikes
5 tons of other donations
“We understand that every donation is more than just an item, it’s a gesture of hope, sustainability, and community care. Through R&DE’s Give & Go program, we remind each other that simple acts can have the power to uplift lives and protect our planet,” said Shirley J. Everett, senior associate vice provost, Residential & Dining Enterprises.
Usable items to donate
Give & Go accepts items in good condition, including:
Clothing and shoes
Bikes and books
Mattresses and mattress toppers
Furniture and small appliances
Electronics and sporting equipment
Non-perishable food
This year, the program is amplifying student involvement and education around sustainable practices.
Student intern Izabella Smolnicka-Dos Santos and Living Lab fellow Julia Lecana Hok organized the first-ever Big Swap event on April 18 during the Stanford Aspen Sustainability Festival, which invited students to exchange clothing and household items. Hundreds of students participated and more than 2,500 pounds of items were donated.
A second Big Swap is planned for Friday, June 6.
Writer
Emily Marie Blackwell