As the holiday season and the end of the year approach, many business owners are looking for a way to give back to their communities. One of the best ways to contribute to your community is by hosting a clothing drive at your laundromat. Together with organizations in your community who need gently used clothing for their charitable work, you can create an event that both inspires your customers and community to give and promotes your business at the same time. With a little planning and promotion, your laundromat's clothing drive can become an annual event that your community supports for many years to come. Searching for the most dependable Speed Queen dealers NC has to offer? Call T & L!
Here's what you need to know about organizing a clothing drive in your community:
Promote Your Event Early
People need time to collect their gently used clothing and get it ready to donate. The more notice you can give them that the event is coming the better. As the seasons change, people put away their summer clothes and bring out their fall and winter wardrobe. Beginning to promote your holiday clothing drive during this seasonal shift is a great way to get people to really go through their clothes and eliminate what they no longer want or need.
Choose Your Charity
Identifying which organization will receive the donations is key to helping you focus on your ask to the community. For example, if your donation recipient is a women's shelter then collecting clothing for women and children is appropriate. Work with your contact at the organization to determine exactly what is needed. Put this information on flyers, signs, and social media posts so that those who wish to donate are clear about the items that can be accepted. Explain that only items in good or like-new condition are accepted.
Make Drop Off Easy
The holiday season is a busy time for everyone. Make dropping off donations easy and fun for your customers and supporters. If you can create a drive up donation site in your parking lot or next to your business, do so. Donors will love having someone collect their donation without having to leave their vehicle. Offer coupons for discounts on future services as a thank you for their donation. Have the receiving organization issue receipts for donations received. When promoting your event, be clear about when and how people can drop off items. If the process is complicated or the hours are limited, people are less likely to participate.
Have a Plan for Storage, Sorting, etc.
Now that you have collected all these wonderful donations, you need a way to store and sort all the items. Setting a regular pick up schedule from the benefiting organization is important as well. Showcasing the community generosity in your laundromat is a great way to encourage others to give. Whether you display the number of pounds of clothing donated or keep a specific item count, your customers will want to see how the drive is going. Storage of the items can be tricky if your location is low on extra space so consider the logistics of where things will go before you begin. Clarify with the organization whether your team will be responsible for sorting donations or whether they will handle those details.
Quality Speed Queen Dealers NC Services
Supporting your community through a clothing drive is a great way to give back and become involved in your local charitable community. At T & L Laundry Equipment we have been a part of the commercial and vended laundry community for more than 40 years. For more information on ways your business can give back and tips on running a successful laundromat, check our previous blog posts. Want to know more about owning your own laundromat? Call or come by our showroom and see why T & L customers are the happiest customers in the vended laundry industry.
