THE EXPANSION
WHY THE EXPANSION IS NECESSARY
DONATIONS PROCESSING CENTER
Because of the generosity of our community, our donations operation has long outgrown our current space. For several years, we have dreamed of expanding our donations processing area to improve elbow room and efficiency. With your financial assistance, we can finally see our dream becoming a reality! Without an expanded donations processing center, our employees and clients are working in a crowded area with limited space for incoming donations – donations we need to keep our store stocked for customers. Our new 4000 square foot building will improve not only the flow of traffic, but also the flow of donations we receive. Donors will easily drive through a portico to drop off donations. Employees and client workers will receive donations without concern for the weather. Donations will be sorted, cleaned, tagged and made ready for placement in the store before being taken to the current building, where ready-to-go items will be placed in the store and seasonal items will be safely and efficiently stored.
Currently, we accept donations 4 days a week and they are listed on the website along with social media. With the expansion, we will be able to accept donations 6 days a week with plenty of room to store items without worry.
At the moment, we serve 180 paying customers on average in our resale store. We believe this could increase to 200+ customers with increased room for donations and planned store space.
On donation days, we serve anywhere from 50-100+ donors a day depending on the weather. With increased donation days and space for storing items, we will be able to serve the community at their convenience.
FLOOR SPACE
Currently, we do not have a sufficient space for processing our high volume of donated goods. This causes the work flow to be segmented and somewhat inefficient.
Our donations processing area is crowded, with decreasing space to maneuver around or to store seasonal items. Our expansion will allow for much-needed space for sorting, cleaning, tagging, and pricing items. Existing space will be used for overflow and seasonal items.
Along with the increased seasonal storage, once we have completed our donations expansion, we hope to be able to extend the back of the store to significantly increase items available for purchase at any given time.
Pictured below are current pictures of why we need more floor space.
DONATION DROP-OFF AREA
The area we currently have for the public to bring in donations is not donor or employee friendly. A sloping driveway with no cover to protect from the weather, and a lack of clear traffic flow create an inefficient and sometimes confusing situation. Our expansion will include a covered portico for donation drop-off with a clear loop around the building to keep donation traffic flowing in one direction.
Pictured below is an example of what the donation drop-off looks like currently and what it will look like with the expansion.
The area we currently have for the public to bring in donations is not donor or employee friendly. A sloping driveway with no cover to protect from the weather, and a lack of clear traffic flow create an inefficient and sometimes confusing situation. Our expansion will include a covered portico for donation drop-off with a clear loop around the building to keep donation traffic flowing in one direction.
Pictured below is an example of what the donation drop-off looks like currently and what it will look like with the expansion.
EXPANSION DETAILS
The expansion we will be adding is a 4,000 square foot donations processing center. It will include the following:
- 12' exterior side walls
- Full insulation
- Double door opening for donations with a portico
- Sufficient exterior concrete approach for forklift
- HVAC with electric and gas heat along with interior ducting
- Multiple wall sockets
- Egress emergency lighting
- Asphalt paving for drop-off loop exit
- 2 ADA accessible restrooms for employee and client access only