It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City

I never knew how hard it was to donate. When we moved a few weeks ago, we knew that a couch and the entertainment unit from our old house did not fit the decor of the new house. We figured that we would put them in the basement, along with the old refrigerator that we inherited with the new house and were replacing. Only when we moved into the new house did we discover that the items were too big to make it down the L-shaped staircase to the basement.

For the past few weeks, we have had a heck of time trying to get them out of our house, preferably for the first cash offer or tax-deductible donation receipt that we could get. We are not talking about junk here. Mrs. Zwicker bought the couch a few years ago and it was still in nearly new condition. We bought the entertainment unit at Art Van soon after we married three years ago. It's nothing fancy-schmancy but it's in good shape and is big enough to hold a 36 inch television.

I first posted something on our synagogue's e-mail group in July but got no takers. Then, our friend who got married during Labor Day weekend was going to take the furniture the week of the wedding when she returned to Chicago. She then realized that the cost and time that it would take to transport the stuff to the Windy City would not be worth it. I then tried Craig's List, where I would have taken the first offer I got. I got a few inquiries but nobody even scheduled a time to come look at the stuff.

I then turned to charity. JARC informed me that it no longer accepts furniture donations. Our friend who works at the Salvation Army said that even if his organization would accept them, they don't pick up donations, at least not ones so big. Purple Heart said that its earliest pickup date would be in late October and that I should call back in a few weeks, without any promise that I would get an appointment. I finally came across Furniture Bank of Oakland County, a branch of the United Way that donates furniture to those in need. The person there said that they will come on Tuesday but wasn't sure that they would take the entertainment unit since there is apparently not much need for them among the destitute. I told her that the driver was welcome to take it home with him for all I care.