Move-OUt! Giveback Days provides free items to Southeast Ohio residents
Whether you’re moving back home after finishing a year at Ohio University or just doing a bit of spring cleaning, Southeast Ohio’s largest annual donation event wants your nonperishable food and gently used items.
After a 2-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Move-OUt Community Giveback Days returns May 4-5 at the Athens County Fairgrounds.
Items will then be given away from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 4. Anything left over will be given away starting at 9 a.m. May 5, said Ron Llewellyn Jr., Athens County Senior Fair Board member who was working at the giveaway site as a representative of the Junior Fair Board.
He noted that in the past, people have lined up prior to the event, but traffic near the fairgrounds has not been an issue.
While supplies last, each family or individual, will be provided with a pre-organized food box with staple items, as well as additional bags of items such as Ramen and breakfast bars if desired, according to the press release. Each family, or individual also will be allowed one large item such as a futon or couch, up to 25 articles of clothing, unlimited carpet/rugs and unlimited smaller items such as bedding, shelves, fans, school supplies, etc.
No quantity limits apply at the May 5 giveaway, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Llewellyn, who has worked with the event for about years, noted that the first year he started, they had more than 350 people receive free items. In the past few years, before the event was shutdown due to the pandemic, they have had between 225 and 250 people participate in the giveaway.
“We hope to have a good turnout this year,” he said. “It takes us about a week to stock up on all these items. In about 40-50 minutes of the giveaway, the buildings aren’t empty, but they look bare.”
Ohio University, the City of Athens, the Athens County Fair Board and several nonprofit organizations are coordinating efforts to make it easy for residents to donate non-perishable food, clothes, gently used furniture and more.
“Tons of quality furniture, food, clothing, carpet, and all manner of household items are collected through the combined efforts of university employees, nonprofit groups and community volunteers,” said Andrew Ladd, Ohio University Recycling and Zero Waste manager, in a press release.
Throughout the week, volunteers have been taking donations and sorting them into three buildings on the fairgrounds.
“Our first day we had more stuff donated to us than ever,” said Ron Llewellyn Jr., Athens County Senior Fair Board member who represented the Junior Fair Board.
Llewellyn estimated over 500 pieces of clothing and lots of nonperishable food ranging from noodles to popcorn to breakfast bars were donated on Monday alone.
Donating items to the giveaway helps keep them out of landfills, Ladd said.
“(The event) gets those items into the hands of people who will give it a second life,” he said. “It will give those items to people who really need them.”
According to Rural Action’s Zero Waste Coordinator Ed Newman, 90 percent or more of waste is recycle, reusable or edible.
“If you want to have a positive impact, recycle more. If you’re wanting to get rid of the things you’ve been using that are still in good condition, there are all kinds of good routes that you can send them besides the landfill,” he said in a press release.
More than 45 on-campus and eight off-campus donation sites are available for people to donate their unwanted items. Now through Friday, every Ohio University residence hall will have both an indoor collection area for nonperishable food and clothing, as well as an outside donation area designated for carpet/rugs, furniture, and household items.
For off-campus residents, nonprofit organizations are staffing locations to drop off reusable items: Bromley Hall: 35 S. Congress St., Athens, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. now through Friday; Athens County Fairgrounds, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. now through May 1 and 9 am. to 2 p.m. May 2-3; Athens Train Depot, 123 W. Union St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Christ Lutheran Church, 69 Mill St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through May 1; Southeast Ohio History Center, 24 W. State St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Other drop-off locations include Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 309 W. Union St., Upcycle Ohio Thrift, 751 W. Union St.; New to You, 90 Columbus Road; and Goodwill, 175 Columbus Road.
Ladd noted that much of Ohio University’s student population is transient. Donating to the event is a way for the student body to help out the community members who call Athens County home year-round.
To pull off the event, they need about 10-12 volunteers at the fairgrounds every day. Many of those are supplied by the Athens County Junior Fair Board, Llewellyn said. Ladd said they have about the same amount of volunteers at the Ohio University gathering items and bringing them to the fairgrounds.
Volunteers are still needed. Besides gathering and sorting items prior to the event, people are needed the days of the giveaway to help carry items to people’s vehicles and restock. Those who sign up to work a three-hour shift are able to take home some of the available items prior to the giveaway, Ladd said.
Llewellyn emphasized that the event is free.
“It is a community service that our junior fair board assists OU with this project,” he said. “It’s our way to give back to the community as well.”
For information regarding Move-Out and Community Give Back Days, visit ohio.edu/recycle.