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As the spring semester comes to an end and students prepare to leave for summer break, Northwest Missouri State University is encouraging students to help reduce waste by offering their once-loved items to others who will give them a new home.
From 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, at Centennial Garden, Residential Life staff are hosting a Backyard Swap Shop, where students can claim unwanted items.
Students are pictured moving into their residence halls in August. This month, as students are moving away from campus Residential Life is offering an opportunity for students to donate unwanted items. (Photo by Todd Weddle | Northwest Missouri State University)
Additionally, students are invited to enjoy Kool Kats and learn about Earth Day while they browse items.
“College life is expensive, but when we look out for one another, we ensure every item finds a home with someone who needs it,” said Max Ford, a sophomore English education major from Kansas City, Missouri, who serves as an inclusion assistant in Hudson Hall. “Students also get to interact with others they may not have met before in our big free store shopping area.”
The collection for donations is now underway. Bins are placed in all Northwest residence halls and in the Forest Village Community Building as well as the J.W. Jones Student Union and the Station.
A complete list of acceptable items is provided below.
Items that are not claimed during the Backyard Swap Shop will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nodaway County.
Ford added, “This event is also helping our planet. Move-out time is a stressful time for many students. Giving them a dedicated space to donate instead of tossing into the dumpster reduces waste and keeps our campus green.”
Additionally, Northwest reminds its community that cardboard, paper, plastic, aluminum, steel, tin and glass materials may be discarded in recycling bins at the residence halls or at Northwest’s Recycling Center, located west of the Northwest campus on Icon Road. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Non-perishable food items may be donated at collection bins in Northwest residence halls. Donors should separate food from other items and use the appropriate bins. Donations may also be made directly to the Bearcat Food Pantry in the J.W. Jones Student Union or local food banks such as the Ministry Center at 971 S. Main St. in Maryville.
