There’s almost always a surplus of something in our homes — whether one is a pack rat, hoarder or someone who has simply outgrown certain items — courtesy the consumerist society we live in. This excess is relegated to the attic until it threatens to burst and then we hand it off to the nearest scrap dealer or house help. There is, however, a better way to address this ‘problem of plenty’ where these commodities can live out their original purpose. Here are a few:
Medical Equipment
When Ajayan’s father suffered a stroke, he bought a medical bed for their home. As his father’s health progressed, the family went on to buy a wheelchair, walker and finally, a walking stick. At each stage, they found themselves saddled with almost-new equipment that they were no longer using. “We realised the sudden expense could be a drain on resources so in 2017, we began the Sanathya Foundation where people could approach us for what they needed and we’d hand them over free of cost. One of our criteria is they return the item once they finished utilising it,” says Ajayan.
As a volunteer-run initiative, Ajayan says there is a whatsapp group via which items could be sourced if it wasn’t stocked with them. “We would like all donated equipment to be in working order be it nebulisers, oximeters, wheelchairs, hearing aids etc. However, we do not take prescription medicines or spectacles.”
To donate or source medical equipment from the Sanathya Foundation, call 96116 15555 or mail info@sanathyafoundation.com
Similarly, Sahaya Centre of St John’s Medical College Hospital and Mercy Drops of Bangalore Baptist Hospital accept used medical equipment. Visit the hospital websites for more details
Board Games
Board games and puzzles can feel repetitive after they’ve been solved a couple of times. And then, they too get marooned on the island of forgotten toys. The ThinkBox Children’s Library in Malleshpalya accepts board games, building blocks and other games that are in “reasonably” good condition with all their original pieces. “Nobody appreciates an incomplete puzzle when you work so hard to finish it, especially children,” says Bhakti Shah, who founded the ThinkBox Children’s Library in 2008. As with most libraries, ThinkBox lends out toys and books for a limited time, relying on borrowers to return them after the prescribed period. “However, we draw a line at stuffed toys and dolls, hygiene being the primary factor,” she says.
Visit thinkbox.co.in for donation details
Meanwhile, the folks at Bharathiya Grameen Mahila Sangh (BGMS) in Vibhutipura, who cater to the welfare of disadvantaged children, women, the aged and partially impaired, accept all kinds of toys and playthings for their young inmates.
For more details visit https://bgmsbangalore.com/
Clothes
Everyone enjoys looking their best and most people don’t mind hand-me-downs as long as they aren’t threadbare or terribly out of fashion. Act of Random Kindness (ARK), operated by Mamatha Esteves, hopes to give the underprivileged the luxury of choice by setting up a ‘clothes market’ every Saturday. “Lots of clothes sit unused in our cupboards either because they don’t fit or the ‘right’ occasion has still not come by. We encourage people to “gift” clothes they themselves would wear,” says Mamatha.
Throughout the week, donations to ARK (which has completed one year in the city), can be dropped off at Rosemount International Preschool on Shankar Nag Road, Domlur Second Stage. On Saturdays, the clothes are displayed on racks and tables at the school and can be purchased for ₹5 a piece. “The point is to dignify life — anyone who comes to pick out clothes should feel they have picked something that they liked or that suits them, and most importantly that they could purchase on their own,” she adds.
To donate to Act of Random Kindness call 89510 66879 or mail actofrandomkindness22@gmail.com
For those who live in and around Electronic City, the Clothes Bank run by Imagine Trust is another place to donate second hand clothes in wearable condition. Run on similar principles as ARK, the Clothes Bank accepts donations from Monday to Friday and puts them up to be purchased every Sunday.
For more details, visit theimaginetrust.org or call 84317 65974 or 96119 77074
Used Stationery
The city is peppered with book stores that buy back novels and tomes on non-fiction, but there are not too many which re-distribute stationery. School supplies on the ‘mandatory list’ for the academic year far exceed the basics and year after year, these items languish in school lockers, the last drawer of a study table or that hard-to-reach shelf in the cupboard.
Both Makkala Jagriti and Goonj which have multiple outlets in the city, accept partially used notebooks, textbooks and other paraphernalia that a school-going child could use in the course of their day, as long as they are in usable condition. This includes school bags, lunch boxes, water bottles, colour pencils, geometry boxes and more.
While Makkala Jagriti is in Malleshwaram, Goonj has two locations in the city — Kudlu Gate and Singasandra. Visit makkalajagriti.org and goonj.org for more details.
Miscellaneous
Finally, if you have stuff in your rafters or under your bed that do not fall into any of the above categories such as electronics, cutlery and cookware, furniture, gardening equipment and the like, Share At Doorstep and Sri Rakum School of the Blind are happy to take it off your hands. While the former hands over what they have received to a network of trusted NGOs, the latter which cares for visually impaired children at three locations in the city and runs on donations alone, is happy to use whatever they can and sell the rest to raise funds for themselves.
Goonj also welcomes bits and bobs in varying shapes and sizes. For more details visit sadsindia.org and rakum.org.
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