Here’s how It works: Bag up your gently worn winter clothing, download and/or open the Uber app on your cell phone today (Dec. 18) between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and you will see a new option at the bottom of your screen called “Donate.” If an Uber cab is available, the driver will head to your destination to pick up your used clothing and drop it off to a local Goodwill.
According to its website, Goodwill has been around for 75 years and “consists of an international network of 165 local, autonomous, community-based organizations in the United States and Canada employing a total of 113,000 team members, 30,000 of whom have a disability. In Canada, independent Goodwill’s operate in seven cities: Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, London, Sarnia, St. Catharines, and Hamilton.
“Goodwill’s core mission has always been to enable work opportunities and provide skills development for people facing barriers to employment, including people with disabilities, youth, the chronically unemployed, and newcomers to Canada."
“As a leading social enterprise, Goodwill’s mission is fulfilled through the collection and sale of donated goods in communities [...]. New and gently used donations are brought into the stores on a daily, sometimes hourly basis, including many brand name fashions and home merchandise.”
Here are the tips that came with Uber’s email notification about today’s service.
“All clothing must be bagged for the driver to accept your donation. Drivers will arrive at your requested pick-up location. Please keep in mind that drivers can’t leave vehicles unattended, so we ask that you bring your bagged clothing out to meet your driver when they arrive!
“It’s the giving season and we expect demand to be high, so please be patient. If you’ve already cleaned out your closet or if the promotion isn’t happening in your hometown, you can still help your local Goodwill by making a monetary donation here.
“Since Goodwill will be coming to you, use this as an opportunity to donate more than just a few things. Go through your closets and find everything your family no longer wears, and add it to your bag - or bags!”
THE SNEAKER BULLETIN