After 40 years, Richmond-based Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) will stop picking up clothing and household items starting next week.
According to Kevin Chan, spokesperson for DDA, fewer organizations are needed to deliver these items to Value Village and donors are dropping off more items directly at their stores.
Donations have decreased over the past few years, and, this year, they accounted for five per cent of DDA's revenues.
“We are confident that our other sources of fundraising will replace the income lost from our business operations,” Chan said. “Our clothing donations business has afforded us a legacy of financial stability that will carry on far into the future.”
The City of Richmond, and other Lower Mainland municipalities, started tightening up what kinds of bins were allowed after four people across the Lower Mainland got stuck in them and died.
Several non-profits, including DDA, pulled the bins that were deemed a hazard because of their opening mechanism off the street in January.
DDA collected clothing in their donation bins and clothing and household items directly from residences across the Lower Mainland.
While the donations have decreased, other sources of revenue have increased. Chan said the people whom DDA supports won’t be impacted, and the non-profit will continue to provide their programs and services.
DDA’s bins in public places will be removed, and the ones on private properties will be taken over and operated by Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver.
Value Village terminated the contract with DDA, effective Oct. 28.
“We are grateful for our years of success with Value Village but we could see the business would only become more risky and challenging with new municipal regulations,” Chan said, adding they encourage people to still drop clothing off at Value Village as DDA still will continue to receive some funding from the donations.
DDA also wants to encourage recycling of clothing “as a measure to reduce environmental impact,” Chan said.
