Supposed good will “donations” are creating ill will at the Salvation Army and Upper Room Mission. According to an estimate by David MacBain, community ministries director for the Vernon Salvation Army, up to 80 per cent of the items left at the Thrift Store location are fit for nothing else but the dump. This has created a huge problem for the Salvation Army as more than $18,000 was spent last year gathering and transporting the junk to the landfill. Andrew Yeo, manager of the Upper Room Mission, said in a letter to the mayor that the Mission is often having to make trips to the dump every other day. McBain notes that the large sum spent on waste removal must be diverted from the Salvation Army‘s social services, including the Food Bank and emergency shelter programs. Despite media attention to the issue, items such as broken furniture and toys, torn and stained mattresses as well as ripped clothing continue to be left at the Thrift Store, prompting both the Salvation Army and the Upper Room Mission to seek help from city council, who will look at the issue in today‘s council meeting. Both non-profit groups will be hoping to receive the same kind of treatment as the Kelowna Salvation Army, which has been granted exemption from paying landfill fees.
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