Dear Bridging AZ,
My time has come to move on and find a place in the professional workplace. But in my time here I have learned many valuable skills and much more personal lessons because of the large amount of 1 on 1 time due to there only being a few of us. The mission here at Bridging AZ is a great one and being only one of two places working in Phoenix on providing furniture to needy people is truly a noble cause. The hard work and dedication that goes into the mission shows as your name becomes more well known and more and more donations flood in.
I have enjoyed my times as intern going on donation pickup runs and then coming back and contining work on either the inventory system or working on setting up the for-profit arm, which in itself has a great mission only aimed at serving even more people. I have gained valuable skills and the ever-important real world experiences that come along with this kind of position. I wish best of luck and I will always refer friends and family to you.
Sincerly,
Mark Weikart
Friday, May 1, 2015
Career Services
I know this one is a little late as I thought I had made a post but clearly included to forget it last time. But anyways I 'attended' a webinar on Professional Communication and Net Etiquette a little over a week ago. In an age where the using the internet for communication and meetings in the workplace is almost readily taking out face to face communication understanding how to communicate effectively and properly online is extremely important.
I learned a lot of the basics that are taught in other reading classes like the proper way to format online messages and also how to greet others. One of the biggest things I learned is how to present yourself through meetings online, whether there is a webcam or not, because tone of voice and other factors dictate more how you sound over the web or microphone than in person. It is nice to learn some new tips and refresh known ones about communication with the web since our lives are becoming increasingly more dependent on it.
I learned a lot of the basics that are taught in other reading classes like the proper way to format online messages and also how to greet others. One of the biggest things I learned is how to present yourself through meetings online, whether there is a webcam or not, because tone of voice and other factors dictate more how you sound over the web or microphone than in person. It is nice to learn some new tips and refresh known ones about communication with the web since our lives are becoming increasingly more dependent on it.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Internship Wrap Up
As the semester ends so do our internships and I have enjoyed my time with Bridging AZ. One of the recurring themes I have heard from them is the same that echoes from class, if you want to get into the non-profit business and there are other groups like yours don't even bother doing your own thing and take your skills to the other group to make a larger impact. To many small nonprofits working on the same mission will get nothing done and that defeats their purpose. I have learned some good skills while working here mainly looking at management of a nonprofit and the what goes on behind the scenes. On top of this I learned the process and helped file paperwork that helped the owner create a for-profit side of his non-profit service.
I would say I met my goals of learning something new in management and how the operations of a nonprofit work. I also learned as I stated how to file tax forms for new businesses and all other relative paperwork. In my time there I went on pickup runs, sat in the office working on tax papers and other legal forms, and I also set up a inventory management system for them. I learned many valuable skills both in how to manage and handle clients and partners and also all the little tedious things that going into running and managing a small non-profit which actually seems like more work than a large non-profit because resources are slimmer for you.
I would say I met my goals of learning something new in management and how the operations of a nonprofit work. I also learned as I stated how to file tax forms for new businesses and all other relative paperwork. In my time there I went on pickup runs, sat in the office working on tax papers and other legal forms, and I also set up a inventory management system for them. I learned many valuable skills both in how to manage and handle clients and partners and also all the little tedious things that going into running and managing a small non-profit which actually seems like more work than a large non-profit because resources are slimmer for you.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Career Services Writeup
I attended the career service event that was teaching us how to effectively negotiate salary and benefits. In a work force where benefits are dwindling and pensions are almost non-existent setting yourself up for long-term success with a company is becoming harder and harder, especially since employees are less likely to stay with a company through their entire career more than ever before. Before attending I never even really considered about my non-salary benefits, I had been stuck at looking at the salary and seeing how much money can come now. But paychecks do not mean everything.
A high salary is good, everyone knows this. But having great benefits is part of your salary. I was taught this in pretty good detail and learned that benefits go far beyond simply retirement funds and healthcare. Depending on who you work for, there are a multitude of benefits depending on your field such as that same company paying for you to go back to school to get an advanced degree. It is important to get good benefits and compensations from the get go as you can always use that as a bargaining tool and only increase your benefits in the future.
A high salary is good, everyone knows this. But having great benefits is part of your salary. I was taught this in pretty good detail and learned that benefits go far beyond simply retirement funds and healthcare. Depending on who you work for, there are a multitude of benefits depending on your field such as that same company paying for you to go back to school to get an advanced degree. It is important to get good benefits and compensations from the get go as you can always use that as a bargaining tool and only increase your benefits in the future.
Free Write
Another person has died in police custody, apparently after doing nothing at all. Freddie Gray died while in police custody over a week in Baltimore after not committing any crime. The police report they did not have to have any probable cause to detain him as he lives in a high-crime area. According to the story the reasonable suspicion that was used to pull him over was that he was not wearing a seat belt. The issue in the story is that he died while in custody of a spinal injury, something that should never occur while in custody.
This follows a large amount of suits and criticism towards police in the United States as many cases of people being killed by cops is being caught on tape or stories are being publicized in every single news outlet throughout the nation. People fear that the police have to much control and that there are not enough protections in place to ensure their duties are being performed correctly and deadly force is only being used at correct times. This case could be another hallmark case in which drastic changes could occur to the way police operate in Baltimore.
This follows a large amount of suits and criticism towards police in the United States as many cases of people being killed by cops is being caught on tape or stories are being publicized in every single news outlet throughout the nation. People fear that the police have to much control and that there are not enough protections in place to ensure their duties are being performed correctly and deadly force is only being used at correct times. This case could be another hallmark case in which drastic changes could occur to the way police operate in Baltimore.
Organizational Strengths
One of the biggest strengths of this organization is that they are one of a kind in the City of Phoenix so their mission can continue pretty much without any issues. It is also ran by passionate people who truly believe in their mission and completely changed their lifestyle to bring this service to the valley. This has helped them build a strong network with their clients and those who serve their clients. The same goes for the warehouse worker who does all the psychical labor and pickups, without him managing the warehouse this nonprofit would be in some trouble.
Really the only major thing I would change if I was in charge of a similar organization is to market on a much larger scale. With things like Facebook and YouTube in existence now it is not very difficult at all to get your name known at absolutely no cost. Double that with local papers who may waive fees for a nonprofit or charge smaller amounts it would be easy to spread the name through the whole valley. Most of their donations come from those who know past donors, it is a word of mouth type of deal. This works but to really increase donations, especially the most needed ones such as beds, a larger audience needs to be reached. By getting the name out not only may furniture be donated but cash donations would most likely come in larger amounts than before.
Really the only major thing I would change if I was in charge of a similar organization is to market on a much larger scale. With things like Facebook and YouTube in existence now it is not very difficult at all to get your name known at absolutely no cost. Double that with local papers who may waive fees for a nonprofit or charge smaller amounts it would be easy to spread the name through the whole valley. Most of their donations come from those who know past donors, it is a word of mouth type of deal. This works but to really increase donations, especially the most needed ones such as beds, a larger audience needs to be reached. By getting the name out not only may furniture be donated but cash donations would most likely come in larger amounts than before.
Free Write
So today a court has passed judgement on a case revolving around former NFL players and head trauma. Each player who's name was on the class action lawsuit can be looking up to 5 million dollars coming their way in compensation as a part of the judgement. The court found that the NFL had in the past hid the dangers of concussions and their consequences later on in someones life. One of the most notable names is that of junior Seau, a player who after learning about possible debilitating mental issues caused by concussions committed suicide rather than see his life go down a path similar to Alzheimer's disease.
This is an important step into increasing player safety and awareness about head trauma and concussions. These players are taught to play a certain way, and sometimes this training is not in their best interest and can increase these odds of developing an issue or receiving a concussion. It seems like the basics of wrap around the waist that is taught at a younger age dissolves and it has become each player, regardless of who has the ball, trying to make the big play and many times injuring themselves in the process.
This is an important step into increasing player safety and awareness about head trauma and concussions. These players are taught to play a certain way, and sometimes this training is not in their best interest and can increase these odds of developing an issue or receiving a concussion. It seems like the basics of wrap around the waist that is taught at a younger age dissolves and it has become each player, regardless of who has the ball, trying to make the big play and many times injuring themselves in the process.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Free Write
So like I may have stated before, I got a job at Four Peaks Brewery recently and have been loving every minute of it! Fun environment, great staff, and amazing food everywhere. But it has been a very exciting few weeks for the brewery. Just yesterday Four Peaks was named the Best Brewery in America by Thrillist, this is a followup award when they were also named Best Brewery in America by Travel Channel. They have been receiving large amounts of awards not only for their beer, but also for the food which has anything from grilled cheese for kids to snapper burgers.
Four Peaks was also at the head of the Arizona Beer Bill. This bill looked to change the way microbreweries would operate in Arizona. The proposed changes would make it so microbreweries producing over 40,000 barrels a year would not be able to self-distribute, it would limit their amount retail licences (which would have forced Four Peaks to shut down 2 of it's 3 restaurant locations), and also gives more privileges to smaller microbreweries. Luckily these changes did not go through and Four Peaks will continue to be able to grow and expand their business as it should be.
Four Peaks was also at the head of the Arizona Beer Bill. This bill looked to change the way microbreweries would operate in Arizona. The proposed changes would make it so microbreweries producing over 40,000 barrels a year would not be able to self-distribute, it would limit their amount retail licences (which would have forced Four Peaks to shut down 2 of it's 3 restaurant locations), and also gives more privileges to smaller microbreweries. Luckily these changes did not go through and Four Peaks will continue to be able to grow and expand their business as it should be.
Free Write
I was just reading an article about music and arts education in elementary and middle schools. And it was not a positive one. I have read quite a bit and studied what is basically the decline of quality arts and arts education in the United States. As more and more schools are forced to make budget cuts more and more arts programs are seeing themselves fold. This is because we have become a society so obsessed with standardized testing, which only focuses on three subjects, that it has been deemed that arts education is unnecessary. This is a crazy idea to me as studies have been done proving that children, especially those in music, have much higher reading comprehension skills and critical thinking skills as they are essentially learning a different language. Arts classes improve creativity and can actually improve situational awareness.
It is sad to see that these courses are not deemed important or necessary anymore. Even if you do not believe these classes hold any real educational value they simply define our culture. Art, music, and food are three of the largest things that define a group of people and what their values are. By taking away the remaining two from schools, as cooking classes and home ec have basically become obsolete in schools we are going to see a massive decline in the quality. Hopefully people will realize this and help the fight to save our arts programs in schools.
It is sad to see that these courses are not deemed important or necessary anymore. Even if you do not believe these classes hold any real educational value they simply define our culture. Art, music, and food are three of the largest things that define a group of people and what their values are. By taking away the remaining two from schools, as cooking classes and home ec have basically become obsolete in schools we are going to see a massive decline in the quality. Hopefully people will realize this and help the fight to save our arts programs in schools.
How my organization demonstrates public service.
Well as I have stated before Bridging AZ is a furniture bank that provides donated furniture, decorations, and bed sets for a fraction of the original cost to certain organizations. Their current major contract is with Southwest Behavioral, who assists individuals with disabilities and other issues in finding work and their own place to live. This is where Bridging AZ comes into play. As Southwest Behavioral does not provide the furniture or any physical good they must contract this out.
Bridging AZ is one of two active furniture banks in the Phoenix Metro area, and is the larger of the two. They take donations from almost anywhere whether it be someones home, an office, or even a hotel. This donated furniture is restored if needed and provided to those in need who are getting their own place to live. Without this service they would be left without even the simplest necessity of a mattress to sleep on. This is a much needed service and luckily donations are always coming in and they are able to continue the service provided.
Bridging AZ is one of two active furniture banks in the Phoenix Metro area, and is the larger of the two. They take donations from almost anywhere whether it be someones home, an office, or even a hotel. This donated furniture is restored if needed and provided to those in need who are getting their own place to live. Without this service they would be left without even the simplest necessity of a mattress to sleep on. This is a much needed service and luckily donations are always coming in and they are able to continue the service provided.
Free Write
Well now that March Madness is over and we have a national champion bracket everywhere were being looked at to see who could win prizes for their accuracy. Well a 6th grader from Illinois tied with another man for the first place prize which is a $20,000 gift card. The one man has already claimed his prize no problem, the 12 year old boy who also won is being denied his prize and it looks like he will never receive it. Why? Because he was under 18 years old.
They claim these rules are there for safety and what not but this is a bracket challenge. All he needed was a account on ESPN's website, which includes no personal information. So why cannot he collect the reward? He should be awarded for his accuracy, just as the other man who did the same as him was. It is a shame that these type of rules are never overlooked, especially since he did it with his parents permission and they are actively fighting for their son to receive his prize they feel he deserves.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it time to change some of these rules?
They claim these rules are there for safety and what not but this is a bracket challenge. All he needed was a account on ESPN's website, which includes no personal information. So why cannot he collect the reward? He should be awarded for his accuracy, just as the other man who did the same as him was. It is a shame that these type of rules are never overlooked, especially since he did it with his parents permission and they are actively fighting for their son to receive his prize they feel he deserves.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it time to change some of these rules?
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Leadership at my Internship
Because there are only 5 of us total (one being another intern) on a daily basis there is almost no defined leader as we are all leaders of our own thing. While I take orders on most things in my internship I am in charge of the inventory system. Because it is a program I setup I have been put in charge of managing it for now while I train them on how it works, how to generate reports, and other various things so when I am done here they will be able to continue to effectively use it. It is nice to be able to use some leadership skills, even if it is a relaxed environment, because in most entry-level positions you will not get that experience so by being able to have it beforehand it can help in the future.
Like I stated before, we are all kind of in charge of our own thing. The other intern who works the same time as me has been given duties to help create a new fundraising event somewhere in the Tempe area. The hope is with his connections to the university and his peers he can help gain a large amount of supports who can spread the word and further increase that support base. We both get a chance to use out leadership skills in different ways and I think it is a great thing to have.
Like I stated before, we are all kind of in charge of our own thing. The other intern who works the same time as me has been given duties to help create a new fundraising event somewhere in the Tempe area. The hope is with his connections to the university and his peers he can help gain a large amount of supports who can spread the word and further increase that support base. We both get a chance to use out leadership skills in different ways and I think it is a great thing to have.
Free Write
Alright, well free agency has started for the NFL and I hope some of you are as excited as me and what has been going on so far! I want to start off by saying I am a huge Colts fan and have been my entire life. While it was disappointing and sad to have to say goodbye to Reggie Wayne (who knows, maybe they offer him a contract) it is great to see Andre Johnson, a player from a divisional rival, join our ranks! He is a great player and has had a tremendous career.
On top of the signing we were able to swoop up Frank Gore in a package deal with Johnson. Now we can finally be done with Trent Richardson and hopefully have a run game again. The Colts were also able to snag Trent Cole from the Eagles the other day. We have been needing a good pass rusher badly and with Robert Mathis coming back next season we can hopefully have a defense that is as scary as our offense. And free agency has just started, next target is apparently Pot Roast!
What is your favorite team and how is the free agency been going for you?
On top of the signing we were able to swoop up Frank Gore in a package deal with Johnson. Now we can finally be done with Trent Richardson and hopefully have a run game again. The Colts were also able to snag Trent Cole from the Eagles the other day. We have been needing a good pass rusher badly and with Robert Mathis coming back next season we can hopefully have a defense that is as scary as our offense. And free agency has just started, next target is apparently Pot Roast!
What is your favorite team and how is the free agency been going for you?
Profile: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield (Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream)
I have chosen to profile two people instead of one. But they way they operate they might as well be one. They are Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, better known as the owners of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. I have always idolized them as the ideal CEO, their generosity in employee compensation even almost led to their failure at one point!
From the beginning the managed every aspect of their product, experimenting and testing new ideas to get what they want. That was the interesting thing about all of it, they made what they liked, and sold it. They never went around asking what people wanted but instead chose for them. This could be hit or miss, but clearly it worked out for the better for them. They began their business after Jerry finished college, Ben never did. In fact, they are known for their additions to their ice creams, whether they be nuts or fudge chunks, because Ben suffers from anosmia (no sense of smell) so he relied on texture over smell.
This sort of career path does not really require any sort of formal education, even though even a basic business degree would always be beneficial for any start up. This relied more on the creation of something unique that could captivate a new market. Not only did they promise high quality products, they also relied on quality ingredients and being eco-friendly by using recycled packaging, promoting recycling said containers, and using sustainable practices to reduce their pollution output. They also believed that just because they were CEO's they shouldn't be making significantly larger amounts than their workers, they believe in fairness.
While I do not see myself creating a new and exciting food product their way of running what was a small buisness and how open and caring they are for their employees inspires me to be a positive leader at any position and hopefully the same kind of owner of my own business one day.
From the beginning the managed every aspect of their product, experimenting and testing new ideas to get what they want. That was the interesting thing about all of it, they made what they liked, and sold it. They never went around asking what people wanted but instead chose for them. This could be hit or miss, but clearly it worked out for the better for them. They began their business after Jerry finished college, Ben never did. In fact, they are known for their additions to their ice creams, whether they be nuts or fudge chunks, because Ben suffers from anosmia (no sense of smell) so he relied on texture over smell.
This sort of career path does not really require any sort of formal education, even though even a basic business degree would always be beneficial for any start up. This relied more on the creation of something unique that could captivate a new market. Not only did they promise high quality products, they also relied on quality ingredients and being eco-friendly by using recycled packaging, promoting recycling said containers, and using sustainable practices to reduce their pollution output. They also believed that just because they were CEO's they shouldn't be making significantly larger amounts than their workers, they believe in fairness.
While I do not see myself creating a new and exciting food product their way of running what was a small buisness and how open and caring they are for their employees inspires me to be a positive leader at any position and hopefully the same kind of owner of my own business one day.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Free Write
Just read an article relating to depression in ex-NFL players either because of short-lived careers which led to financial ruin or long-term injuries. It is something the NFL does not like to discuss, the same goes for the fans, but the reality of it all is to much to ignore. Junior Seau has become one of the biggest names in this when he committed suicide because he had developed a degenerative neurological condition during his time in the NFL. He was known as extremely outgoing and positive through his entire NFL career and upon retirement that changed fast.
Hopefully the NFL studies more into issues with brain damage from playing football and more extensive testing is done. While it is a great sport and the players love playing it, the injuries are getting worse as players get bigger and hit harder. A long NFL career could leave a player jobless and with life-altering injuries at the age of 32 or 33. That is far to young to be dealing with extreme depression because of the hard transition from the NFL life to a normal life. Fortunately it does seem as if the NFL has made more of an effort to understand and prevent some of these injuries in recent years.
Hopefully the NFL studies more into issues with brain damage from playing football and more extensive testing is done. While it is a great sport and the players love playing it, the injuries are getting worse as players get bigger and hit harder. A long NFL career could leave a player jobless and with life-altering injuries at the age of 32 or 33. That is far to young to be dealing with extreme depression because of the hard transition from the NFL life to a normal life. Fortunately it does seem as if the NFL has made more of an effort to understand and prevent some of these injuries in recent years.
Free Write
Hi everyone (especially football fans),
I wanna discuss a proposed change in the NFL rule book that would change current defensive pass interference rules. Currently there are two rulings, a 15 yard penalty and a spot of the foul. This proposed change would get rid of the spot of the foul ruling and make all pass interference calls 15 yards regardless of circumstance. This may help balance recent changes in years that have made it harder for a defender to play on the ball defense during pass plays. But with this could come some problems.
If a defender is beat and they know it on a deep 30+ yard pass what is to stop them from just leveling or tripping the receiver and having them only get half as many or less yards? My hope is that the players will have some level of sportsmanship and try to play the ball but this of course would not always be the case. Best case scenario they make this rule change but add a stipulation, if the defender is clearly taking out the receiver because they are beat the spot of the ball foul should remain. This may help prevent penalties in which defenders simply bump into a receiver and they get a 30 yard penalty call in their favor.
I wanna discuss a proposed change in the NFL rule book that would change current defensive pass interference rules. Currently there are two rulings, a 15 yard penalty and a spot of the foul. This proposed change would get rid of the spot of the foul ruling and make all pass interference calls 15 yards regardless of circumstance. This may help balance recent changes in years that have made it harder for a defender to play on the ball defense during pass plays. But with this could come some problems.
If a defender is beat and they know it on a deep 30+ yard pass what is to stop them from just leveling or tripping the receiver and having them only get half as many or less yards? My hope is that the players will have some level of sportsmanship and try to play the ball but this of course would not always be the case. Best case scenario they make this rule change but add a stipulation, if the defender is clearly taking out the receiver because they are beat the spot of the ball foul should remain. This may help prevent penalties in which defenders simply bump into a receiver and they get a 30 yard penalty call in their favor.
Free Write
Hi everyone,
Well this week I finally started a new job after leaving my old one at Four Peaks Brewery. It is been harder than I had hoped to find a more permanent job but this will do for now! Luckily for me it is close to home and I have a bunch of friends who work there or have worked there so adjusting was nice and easy. Fun for me because this is also my first time working in a restaurant. Also can't complain about the cheap beer I get for working there, always a plus!
Like I said before, I have been looking for a more permanent job within one of the city governments. Unfortunately a lot of these jobs require extensive experience and knowledge on specific topics. And the ones that would be more my level, are a totally unrelated field. Maybe it is time to start looking out of state for a new job. Hopefully this job market opens up some more! A lot of unpaid internships are always available of course.
Well this week I finally started a new job after leaving my old one at Four Peaks Brewery. It is been harder than I had hoped to find a more permanent job but this will do for now! Luckily for me it is close to home and I have a bunch of friends who work there or have worked there so adjusting was nice and easy. Fun for me because this is also my first time working in a restaurant. Also can't complain about the cheap beer I get for working there, always a plus!
Like I said before, I have been looking for a more permanent job within one of the city governments. Unfortunately a lot of these jobs require extensive experience and knowledge on specific topics. And the ones that would be more my level, are a totally unrelated field. Maybe it is time to start looking out of state for a new job. Hopefully this job market opens up some more! A lot of unpaid internships are always available of course.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
A Typical Day
My typical day begins anywhere from 9-9:30 a.m. (depending on when I make it there) and will run from 2 to up to 4pm depending on what the day brings. Currently I am doing Tuesday-Friday as they have Mondays off. Every morning starts off the same though, first 10 minutes or so is some light discussion to get the day started and before we get to into work. As I stated in the other blogs right now the main focus is setting up an inventory management system and getting as many items as I can online and up for sale! This alone takes up a good portion of the day as the furniture needs to be moved, cleaned, setup, and then put back away. This usually takes up a good portion of the day until lunch.
After lunch and some more lively discussion it is back to work. The second half of my day consists of working on forms to setup the for-profit arm of the non-profit, but this includes tons of waiting for one form to fill out another form. So when I am not spending time on this I will move onto developing the inventory system into something that fits in with the work flow. Right now that means entering all relevant information of the nonprofit into the program and figuring out with features of the program and what reports I can generate that will actually be useful and not just another step. These tasks keep me quite busy all day long and before you know it it is time to head home.
After lunch and some more lively discussion it is back to work. The second half of my day consists of working on forms to setup the for-profit arm of the non-profit, but this includes tons of waiting for one form to fill out another form. So when I am not spending time on this I will move onto developing the inventory system into something that fits in with the work flow. Right now that means entering all relevant information of the nonprofit into the program and figuring out with features of the program and what reports I can generate that will actually be useful and not just another step. These tasks keep me quite busy all day long and before you know it it is time to head home.
Selling Furniture
Well a lot of this internship so far has consisted of getting the basics of the inventory system set up and listing tons of furniture for sale on eBay. I have come to find that invoice systems are extremely expensive, and that almost no matter your choice they are at least a few hundred minimum. Luckily I was able to find a free service called Inflow which limited amounts of data and reports, but they all fall into exactly what I need. I actually enjoy this type of work because at my last job (Petsmart) I did a bunch of inventory analysis and worked with a inventory system every day. Inventory systems are the backbone to almost any organization!
After talking to the owners awhile about selling things online and how that goes it is surprising that it is not as voluminous as I thought it would be. There is a lot of multi-thousand dollar furniture they are selling for less than 60% of original price yet it sits online for months. This makes it difficult in the warehouse as donations keep coming in at fast paces but the inventory is not going anywhere once it finds a spot. And it almost seems like a lot of the sales that do happen are people who live hours away! A lot of them want a drop off but this is not feasible with their financial situation. Hopefully there is something encourages people to buy from them more to get the inventory flowing!
After talking to the owners awhile about selling things online and how that goes it is surprising that it is not as voluminous as I thought it would be. There is a lot of multi-thousand dollar furniture they are selling for less than 60% of original price yet it sits online for months. This makes it difficult in the warehouse as donations keep coming in at fast paces but the inventory is not going anywhere once it finds a spot. And it almost seems like a lot of the sales that do happen are people who live hours away! A lot of them want a drop off but this is not feasible with their financial situation. Hopefully there is something encourages people to buy from them more to get the inventory flowing!
The Furniture
So I am actually a bit surprised by the types of furniture I have seen here. I figured you would see not cheap, but lower quality furniture in vast amounts. But in reality it is a good mix. On one end there are small wood tables worth maybe $5 or $10, and then there is a couch and coffee table set on the other worth $15,000. Some people seem to be quite generous with their donations! I have been told that their name is finally getting more recognized and word of mouth has made their amount of donations coming in skyrocket to years past. But unfortunately it is a lot of things like kitchen tables and sofas when their main need is mattresses, these seem to be the toughest to come by. The challenges are interesting for this organization, the generosity is there from the community but it is not always exactly what they need.
Only issue with receiving higher end furniture is that they cannot give this out to their clients because the value is to high and they will not accept it. This leaves them with furniture that cannot be moved easily out of their warehouse. But the solution to this is to sell it for a discounted rate on ebay! This helps a lot as the money from their clients is enough to keep them going but is not enough to stockpile some reserves. By selling the furniture online they are able to turn a small profit which goes towards the use of storage trailers, cleaning/refinishing supplies for their furniture, and the eventual purchase of a new box truck. Luckily there are no laws broken by doing this, otherwise I cannot imagine how smaller organizations like this could even exist. With limited funding from the government and third parties it makes sense why a lot of non-profits must turn a profit.
Only issue with receiving higher end furniture is that they cannot give this out to their clients because the value is to high and they will not accept it. This leaves them with furniture that cannot be moved easily out of their warehouse. But the solution to this is to sell it for a discounted rate on ebay! This helps a lot as the money from their clients is enough to keep them going but is not enough to stockpile some reserves. By selling the furniture online they are able to turn a small profit which goes towards the use of storage trailers, cleaning/refinishing supplies for their furniture, and the eventual purchase of a new box truck. Luckily there are no laws broken by doing this, otherwise I cannot imagine how smaller organizations like this could even exist. With limited funding from the government and third parties it makes sense why a lot of non-profits must turn a profit.
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