CORNWALL, Ontario – The Agapè Centre is asking the public to please respect its rules around dropping off items for their store.
The centre shared a photo of what is unfortunately a typical sight for them on Monday morning, drop off boxes being trashed in their parking lot as well as used mattresses and other refuse.
“This happens every weekend,” said Johanne Couture, Executive Director of the Agapè Centre. “There are garage sales and when they’re done they take their leftover stuff and bring it here.”
Couture said that some individuals are not aware that they do not accept certain items.
“There are mattresses every Monday and we don’t take mattresses. We take clothing, small furniture and home wear,” she said. “The ideal way to drop something off would be to come to our loading dock during open hours.”
She explained that their loading dock is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, except Thursdays when it is open until 7 p.m. and Saturday, when it is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During regular business hours, there will be someone working at the dock who will help accept items for drop off.
Another problem for the Agapè Centre are people who go through boxes and bags of items that have been dropped off.
“Do not go through items that have been dropped off,” said Couture. “Once it is on our property, taking it is considered theft.”
Couture explained that they have had to set trespass orders against some individuals and have banned others.
“We have surveillance pictures of somebody inside the dumper ripping into every bag to find something,” said Couture.
These rifled through items often get thrown on the grown or left in the rain. The Agapè Centre does not have a budget to wash these items so, along with the mattresses, they are thrown away. All of this has meant that the Agapè Centre has had to pay a lot in tipping fees every year.
The Agapè Centre paid $7,500 in tipping fees at the dump last year.
“Your donations mean so much to our clients. Your donations help us in raising monies to purchase pantry items for both our Soup Kitchen and Food Bank,” the Agapè Centre wrote on their Facebook page. “Unfortunately, items that were left over the weekend outside our dock have been tampered with by unwanted visitors and left in the rain – we will not be able to keep most of these items. As you can see, despite our signage items continue to be left costing us monies to dispose at the City dump.”
