thedrifter
01-23-09, 06:49 AM
Marines' surplus furniture diverted from landfill to those in need
Published Thu, Jan 22, 2009 12:00 AM
By PATRICK DONOHUE
pdonohue@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5531
David Orford just couldn't bring himself to throw away 400 pieces of bedroom furniture.
While renovating three barracks at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort earlier this month, Orford, the base's warehouse and storage supervisor, awaited word about what should be done with furniture that was going to be replaced in 199 of the one- and two-man rooms occupied by single enlisted Marines.
If the Defense Reutilization and Marketing System thought it could reuse the furniture or sell it, it would arrange for the furniture to be picked up. As the renovation project began, however, Orford said he hadn't been told what to do with the desks, chairs, beds, dressers and nightstands, all of which he estimated was less than eight years old.
"Finally, at the 11th hour, on the last day, at the last minute, I got a call telling me to landfill it," he said. "I wasn't going to landfill this stuff. It was too good. So I thought that these are my tax dollars, your tax dollars, and if AIG can get a bailout and get some tax money, then I'm going to bail some people out, too."
Orford contacted a host of local charities and churches, including the Salvation Army and LowCountry Habitat for Humanity, to see if they were interested in the furniture.
They were.
"It was just great," said Peggy Griffin, spokeswoman for the Salvation Army. "It enabled us to help more people than we would have otherwise. We can give (people who lost their homes in fires) better quality furniture. Usually the furniture we get is in pretty rough shape, so to get something that people could take to their homes and use immediately was really great."
The Salvation Army received 20 beds, 45 chairsand 45 desks, Griffin said.
LowCountry Habitat for Humanity said the base's donation of three truckloads of furniture to its ReStore was much-appreciated.
"The donation of furniture from the Marine Corps Air Station was a real blessing to our Habitat community," said Scott Hall, assistant manager of the ReStore. "The furniture was very affordable to our shoppers and also provided needed funds for the LowCountry Habitat for Humanity's continuing ministry of providing affordable housing."
Of the 400 pieces of bedroom furniture taken from the renovated rooms, Orford said almost all of it was given away from Jan. 5 to Jan. 16.
"We put in all of the new and took out the old, and the old was still very serviceable," he said. "I refused to waste it. I've been in supply for over 30 years, and I've seen a lot of waste."
Ellie
Published Thu, Jan 22, 2009 12:00 AM
By PATRICK DONOHUE
pdonohue@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5531
David Orford just couldn't bring himself to throw away 400 pieces of bedroom furniture.
While renovating three barracks at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort earlier this month, Orford, the base's warehouse and storage supervisor, awaited word about what should be done with furniture that was going to be replaced in 199 of the one- and two-man rooms occupied by single enlisted Marines.
If the Defense Reutilization and Marketing System thought it could reuse the furniture or sell it, it would arrange for the furniture to be picked up. As the renovation project began, however, Orford said he hadn't been told what to do with the desks, chairs, beds, dressers and nightstands, all of which he estimated was less than eight years old.
"Finally, at the 11th hour, on the last day, at the last minute, I got a call telling me to landfill it," he said. "I wasn't going to landfill this stuff. It was too good. So I thought that these are my tax dollars, your tax dollars, and if AIG can get a bailout and get some tax money, then I'm going to bail some people out, too."
Orford contacted a host of local charities and churches, including the Salvation Army and LowCountry Habitat for Humanity, to see if they were interested in the furniture.
They were.
"It was just great," said Peggy Griffin, spokeswoman for the Salvation Army. "It enabled us to help more people than we would have otherwise. We can give (people who lost their homes in fires) better quality furniture. Usually the furniture we get is in pretty rough shape, so to get something that people could take to their homes and use immediately was really great."
The Salvation Army received 20 beds, 45 chairsand 45 desks, Griffin said.
LowCountry Habitat for Humanity said the base's donation of three truckloads of furniture to its ReStore was much-appreciated.
"The donation of furniture from the Marine Corps Air Station was a real blessing to our Habitat community," said Scott Hall, assistant manager of the ReStore. "The furniture was very affordable to our shoppers and also provided needed funds for the LowCountry Habitat for Humanity's continuing ministry of providing affordable housing."
Of the 400 pieces of bedroom furniture taken from the renovated rooms, Orford said almost all of it was given away from Jan. 5 to Jan. 16.
"We put in all of the new and took out the old, and the old was still very serviceable," he said. "I refused to waste it. I've been in supply for over 30 years, and I've seen a lot of waste."
Ellie