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‘Someone has to go through those bags, please be respectful’
A charity shop volunteer has called on people to cease donating one particular item. Purchasing from charity shops remains a favoured option for those looking for budget-friendly items while helping to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion.
Second-hand outlets generally offer a diverse range of goods, from garments, footwear and accessories to books, kitchen equipment, furniture and much more. Now one volunteer who dedicated a few hours weekly to a thrift shop has appealed to donors to be conscious of this one item they should stop giving to charity as it’s rather “disgusting” to handle.
In a Reddit post, someone asked charity shop workers to share the “highs and lows” of their experience in the shop, prompting one person to urge donors to stop giving dirty clothes.
Numerous volunteers seized this opportunity to discuss various aspects of working with charity donations, with one stating: “I volunteered at one for a few months, only 4 hours a week.
“My main job was emptying the donation bags and sorting through them round the back. Unfortunately I didn’t come across anything exciting or funny, just endless clothes/bags/shoes.”, reports the Mirror.
In the post, the individual added: “I will say this though, please people – don’t donate dirty clothes. Someone (usually a volunteer) has to go through those bags, please be respectful.
“Also, in my shop (can’t speak for every store) if an item of clothing was soiled, the whole bag would be thrown as it’s considered contaminated.” Later, the individual disclosed that they managed to purchase a lovely Regatta coat for £10 before it even reached the shop floor.
Meanwhile, another person commented: “I remember working in a popular charity chain and saw the managers go through the donations and take what they wanted, lots of branded clothing and high end electronics.
“My mum volunteers in our local charity shop and she literally brings things home almost every shift, whether it’s stuff for herself or for others. She says she gives monetary donations back… but I don’t believe her.”
Another individual who had worked in a charity shop for “a few years” went on to reveal all the items they had managed to acquire.
They went on to say: “Picked up a lot of very expensive coats for pennies though, and we’d have a few regulars that were super nice.
“Probably the worst unsaid thing about working in a charity shop is that because a lot of the regulars customers customers are very elderly.
“There does come a point where they no longer come in every week, you can guess that it’s likely they’ve passed but because you’re not a ‘known friend’ to their family no one ever tells you.
“Sometimes it’s even worse when their family knows because they donate their stuff.”
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