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We have all heard of the three R’s of waste management; reduce, reuse, and recycle. Recycling is often considered the most important out of the three, but reusing is equally, if not more, important than recycling. Reusing is the act of taking an item you might not use anymore and finding a new use for it. Here at Midwest Mission, reusing is an important part of our mission.
We accept donations of items that you might have at home, but no longer use. We reuse and refurbish these items to give them a new life. These items are then sent all over the world to help people in need. We reuse and refurbish bleacher wood, medical and orthopedic equipment, sewing machines, billboard advertisements, and so much more!
When a school is redoing their gymnasium, they might remove and replace their wooden bleachers. But what happens to all the old bleacher wood? Schools can donate their bleacher wood to Midwest Mission, and we give it a new life, by making it into desks. In our desk shop at Midwest Mission, we scrap the gum off the bleacher wood (seriously!), sand the pieces down, cut them to size and then assemble them into desks. These desks are then disassembled for easy shipping. Then, the desks are sent to schools all over the world so that students have a sturdy surface to work on.
We can also reuse medical and orthopedic equipment. We all might have some medical equipment that we are holding onto just in case we or someone we love get injured in the future. But those items that we are holding onto for “some day,” someone around the world or even around the corner needs today. We accept donations of these items and send them out when someone requests them so their lives are not disrupted by their injury. Your donation could mean someone who has always lived a life of dependence, could finally live a life of freedom and independence. Midwest Mission accepts leg braces, walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, home care beds, and so much more.
We also refurbish used treadle and electric sewing machines in our sewing machine shop. Some of us might have a sewing machine at home that we use for a hobby, but for many people around the world, a sewing machine can be their saving grace. We accept donations of new or used sewing machines that are in good working condition that will be refurbished. These refurbished sewing machines are then sent to nonprofit organizations all over the world where they teach people how to sew so they can make items for their families or to sell.
Another item we are able to creatively reuse are billboards.We have all seen billboards on the side of the road, and you might wonder where they go when a new sign is put up. Billboards are typically made of steel, wood, or a combination of both. The advertisement on them, however, is made of a vinyl sheet. When the company Lamar Advertising takes down one of these vinyl sheets, they send them over to Midwest Mission. We are able to transform these vinyl sheets into tarps, sending them internationally when a disaster happens.
Reusing is an important part of our mission here at Midwest Mission. We are able to creatively refurbish a variety of items and give them a new life. We reuse gymnasium bleacher wood to create desks for students all across the globe to have something sturdy to work on. We reuse medical and orthopedic equipment so people’s lives are not interrupted by their injury. In our sewing machine shop, we refurbish used treadle and electric sewing machines that will be sent to nonprofits globally where they teach people how to sew so they can make items for their families or to sell. We also reuse billboard vinyl sheets as tarps that are sent out after a natural disaster. Visit midwestmission.org/collect-donate to learn about all the things you could donate, and give a new life.
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