Sustainability Management hosted ’Cuse Collections this spring for the third year in a row, an event where students can drop off new and gently used items that they no longer need or are unable to take home at the end of the semester.

The collected items are provided to local organizations and nonprofits, and at the two collection sites on campus, Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students donated an estimated 85 bins of items.

Student volunteers helped oversee the drop-off sites and assist organizations in picking up the donated items.

The items (equivalent to over three dump-truck loads) were donated to seven local organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Syracuse, John 6:12, Lydia’s Attic, Rescue Mission, SEA Without Borders, Spanish Action League of Onondaga County and Huntington Family Centers, Inc.

“Donations collected through ’Cuse Collections help the Rescue Mission meet immediate needs in our community. Items like blankets, sheets and clothing are used directly in our emergency shelter services, while additional donations help stock Thrifty Shopper stores with affordable goods for local families,” says Luana Lovenguth, chief social enterprise officer at the Rescue Mission. “It’s a meaningful example of community impact and sustainability working together.”

These donations help keep items out of the waste stream, reduce the amount of energy used to create new products and benefit those in the Syracuse community.

If you’re interested in getting involved next year or are an organization that would like to partner with Sustainability Management, please reach out to sustain@syr.edu.