Program urges ECU students to donate household goods

At the end of each semester, East Carolina University students toss tons of usable household items into the Pitt County Landfill, while families across the region go without

A new program, Pirates Treasure, seeks to bridge that gap. On ECU’s reading days, Dec. 4 and 5, students can donate their usable household items – furniture, kitchen appliances, clothing, nonperishable food, lamps, etc. – to one of five Pirates Treasure drop-off sites in the campus area neighborhoods. The sites, each of which will house a portable storage container from Stallings Mini-Storage, will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The sites are located at the Willis Building (at the corner of First and Reade streets); the corner of North Warren and Wyndham Court; at the corner of North Harding St. and River Dr.; Green Springs Park on 5th St.; and at the KA Fraternity House at Eleventh and Charles streets.

The items will be collected by God’s Love, Martin Pitt Partnership for Children, and other social services groups. Items remaining after Dec. 5 will be donated to the Salvation Army and Goodwill.

“We hope this new partnership between ECU and the City of Greenville will help curb waste – in both our campus neighborhoods and in our landfills – and provide the area’s needy families with much needed items,” said Lynn Roeder, ECU’s Dean of Students, who is chairing the project.

Roeder noted that students could drop off their household items to Greenville charities at any time if they are unable to deliver their items during the dates offered by Pirates Treasure. The collection program will return in the spring semester.

Cori Hines, the City of Greenville’s neighborhood liaison and ombudsman, said he was pleased the city could partner with ECU on the project.

“We are committed to improving the quality of life of residents and students,” he said. “This initiative serves a testament to the strength of our commitment to all those we serve.”

For more information and for a map of the drop-off sites visit: http://www.ecu.edu/studentlife/offcampus/ or call (252) 328-2847.

The program is sponsored by ECU’s Dean of Students, Off-Campus Student Services, the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center, and the City of Greenville. Also ECU’s Student Government Association, Greek Life, ECU Police, the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women, and Stallings Mini-Storage of Greenville.