
How You Can Help Us
Donations
Looking for ways to help us but don't know where to start? Here are some ways that you can help!
Back To School Program
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In our work with families we have witnessed the stress that going back to school can cause. Schools now require families to provide an incredible list of supplies. On top of that clothing and shoes are necessary for their children, together with snacks. Providing all of these items can really drain already stretched budgets.
Black River Good Neighbors wants to help those families, but we can’t without support. We began a program to do just that in 2014 and each year it has grown, as more families apply.
Parents have shared that this program made a huge difference for their children. Black River Good Neighbor Services wants to continue assisting families in the same way for the coming school year. We would like to
hear that they can focus on education rather than worrying about shoes and socks. This program is a sound investment.
If you can help or need assistance, please contact us.
THRIFT STORE ITEMS THAT WE DO NOT ACCEPT:
WE DO NOT TAKE ANY ITEMS WITH RIPS, TEARS, STAINS, RUST OR ODORS.
1. Cribs, car seats, car seat bases, booster seats, diaper genies, potty chairs
2. Downhill/cross country skis, ski boots, ski poles, ski helmets, or rollerblades
3. Major appliances (washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers)
4. Computers, stereos, cordless phones, cell phones
5. Chain saws or any gas driven power equipment
6. Electric blankets, heating pads, portable heaters (electric, kerosene or propane)
7. Humidifiers, de-humidifiers, air conditioning units
8. Televisions (of any size), VCRs, DVD players, or game systems
9. Items that are broken, chipped, stained, ripped or not in good working condition. 10. VHS tapes, ironing boards, suitcases, medical equipment 11. Used underpants, bed pillows, bed skirts, mattress pads (unless new and unused).
THRIFT STORE ITEMS THAT WE DO ACCEPT:
1. Small appliances in clean, good/working condition, such as microwaves (cannot be older than 10 yrs.), toaster ovens, coffee pots.
2. Women’s, men’s, children’s clothing (any season), CANNOT be stained, ripped, outdated, have any missing/broken zippers, or buttons and cannot have any odor of moth balls, wood or cigarette smoke. Items cannot smell of attics, basements cat urine or marijuana.
3. Dishes, pots/pans, glasses/mugs, CANNOT be chipped or broken and must be complete sets. Pots/pans, in good condition, no dents, Teflon intact, no scratches.
4. Toys, puzzles, games.
5. Lamps, books, (NO reference books, dictionaries, NO text books, NO encyclopedias).
6. Other items at the discretion of employee receiving the item during time of drop off. 7. Artwork (not faded) frames (not damaged). 8. Sheet, towels (all must be clean, no stains, ripped and no smells). 9. New underwear (packaged), gently used and new bras.
FURNITURE STORE
Location: 105 Main St, Ludlow. Hours: Friday’s & Saturday’s, 10-4 PM.
Call 802-228-3663 with questions. REQUIRED FOR FURNITURE DONATIONS: Send photos of items to donate to: brgoodneighbors@gmail.com
ITEMS THAT WE DO NOT ACCEPT:
No bed frames, headboards, box springs, mattresses or cribs.
FOOD ITEMS THAT WE DO ACCEPT: All nonperishable food items (with the exception of fresh produce) must NOT have passed the Use By/Expiration Date AND must have intact safety seal. We do NOT accept baby food.
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Volunteering
We also accept donations of time from our volunteers. We have a very small paid staff. We operate under a 15 person volunteer board of directors, and we use the services of over 65 other volunteers to help run both of our stores and the food shelf.
Volunteers form the backbone of the Black River Good Neighbor Services’ team. Since its founding in the 1960’s most of the individuals associated with the organization volunteer their time. Members of the Board of Directors are unpaid volunteers, just as are the dedicated folks who deliver holiday baskets each December. So too are those who stock store shelves and racks, and who sweep the floor and take out the trash. We have a small paid staff and a huge volunteer operation. But we have a lot of turnover and a lot of volunteers who live out of state and cannot give but a few hours each year. Therefore, there is always a need for additional help.
Please review the list of volunteer opportunities below and perhaps identify some job that you may find enjoyable.
Do you have a particular skill that we can use? Are you willing to help wherever help is needed? If you can spare only a couple hours a month we can use you. Please call Audrey at (802) 228-3663, or come in to the store at 37B Main Street, Ludlow to find out what you can do. Volunteering comes with its own set of rewards.
Each August our volunteers gather for an appreciation picnic. This year we had over 60 volunteers, family and friends at the affair. We would love to have you attend next year.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Office work: Developing and maintaining spreadsheets, scanning documents, organizing files, answering telephones, and all other manner of running a business office.
Merchandising: Creating and setting up displays, developing sales generating techniques, creating retail interest, and generally finding ways to increase the attractiveness of the retail environment.
Sales: Running the cash register, helping customers, sorting donations, restocking clothing racks and merchandise shelves, and keeping customers happy.
Fundraising: Help to organize events, help to establish and run direct mail campaigns, special sales, dinners, and using imagination and ingenuity to work with the community to find funding sources.
Rubbish Removal and Recycling: Bring rubbish to the Ludlow transfer station, sort the general waste stream and deliver recyclables to the appropriate place.
Store Maintenance: General building maintenance, repair and cleaning of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, building shell, immediate grounds; keep all systems in top operating condition.
Food Delivery: Twice a month deliver USDA and BRGNS food to less mobile senior citizens.
Furniture Pickups: Pick up donated furniture from donors’ homes and businesses and bring it to our stores or put it in storage for future sales.
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Amazon Smile
Now there is a way for you to help Black River Good Neighbor Services with every purchase you make through AmazonSmile – that doesn’t cost you a cent!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support BRGNS every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase price to BRGNS.
To shop at Amazon using AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. You use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, wish list, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select Black River Good Neighbor Services to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. It will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation to BRGNS. It’s really that simple.
So, please sign up today and make all of your purchases count. Help us help others while you shop!