Take That, Charity!

By Andrew Jenkins in News on Nov 9, 2006 6:10PM

What could possibly go wrong with the concept of donating clothes to those less fortunate? Apparently … quite a bit. Some aldermen are proposing the removal of Chicago’s clothing drop boxes. It all started when Ald. Dick Mell (33rd) designed an ordinance that would fine the drop box owners for not quickly removing graffiti. Tagged donation boxes were creating an eyesore and garnering some complaints from the neighbors. But Mell soon heard other drop box horror stories. Donated clothes being sold for personal profit. Boxes placed on private property without the permission of the city or property owners. Well after hearing all this, Mell is now looking to straight-up outlaw the donation boxes.

Hmm. Sure, we’re disheartened to hear that some boxes have been a scam. Yes, the things are typically too full to hold our modest donations anyway. But c’mon, do we really need to make it that much harder on charities? We thought the fake drop boxes had been cleared away, so now all that's left to do is get these things emptied more often so that the occasional moo moo doesn’t escape from the overflowing bins. Getting rid of the boxes altogether just seems a little counterproductive.

If you want to donate your old Umbros, and you want to make sure they get to the people who really need them, we suggest either going straight to the source or checking out this dated story from the Tribune.