Donation to Catholic Charities will help many nonprofit groups

About $1 million worth of collegiate memorabilia, including stuffed animals, picture frames, bobble heads and other novelties, was recently donated to Catholic Charities, 9720 W. 87th St., Overland Park.

A local business owner, who asked to remain anonymous, donated the items that were delivered to the charity in three and a half semi-truckloads, said Doug Clopton, director of in-kind donation services for Catholic Charities.

“We’ve never gotten anything this big,” he said.

Catholic Charities offered the items to a variety of other nonprofit organizations. Some will give the memorabilia to donors. Others will give the memorabilia directly to people in need, Clopton said.

“We can give it to people who come to food pantries,” Clopton said. “A lot of times people come in, not in high spirits. You can give them food and give them a stuffed animal for their kid.”

The children at the Rainbow Center for Communicative Disorders in Blue Springs, Mo.,  may see some toys in their trick-or-treat bags this fall, said Karla Butkaovich, development associate. The organization looks for alternative rewards to candy to give to individuals served at the Rainbow Center during holidays and other celebrations, she said.

“It’s huge,” Karla said. “With the economy, donations are not what they used to be. This will make a big difference for us in being able to provide things for kids.”

Those who have benefitted from the donation include food pantries, public schools, and centers for the disabled and those who live in poverty, said Catholic Charities Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Ehart.

“In this tough economy any way we can reach out to nonprofits,” Ehart said. “I think in coming months we’re going to see nonprofits having difficulty remaining open. I think it is important to remember we need to help one another.”

Cardboard boxes full of memorabilia were unloaded into a room that spans about 8,000 square feet, Clopton said. It took volunteers several days to sort through some of the items and help move them to other locations, he said.

“You couldn’t walk in,” Clopton said. “You get on a windfall like this and you say ‘yes.’ The need arose and the answer is right in this room.”

Often donations that may seem unusual prove to be very helpful to Catholic Charities and other organizations, he said. 

“It’s learning to be creative with what you have got,” Clopton said. “Great windfalls like this help out.”

A recent donation of 650 televisions from a closed business were sold in the Catholic Charities thrift store Turnstyles. The revenue from Turnstyles supports charitable work. A donation of about 1,800 bedspreads helped Turnstyles and also was put to use by a local animal shelter, Clopton said.

“Our hope and prayer is other businesses will realize there is a place if they thought ‘I never knew where I could go if I have a donation like this,’” Clopton said.

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