Olds College has given away a number of bedroom furniture sets donated to the school to multiple charities, with the last of the inventory cleared on Feb. 28.
The furniture was given to various non-profit groups, including the proposed Olds Emergency Shelter, Camp Kindle ñ Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta, Living Faith Bible College, Camp Evergreen, Frontier Lodge and the Red Deer Women's Emergency Shelter.
According to Ken Risi, director of development at Olds College, the school first received 300 bedroom collections early last fall, including desks, chairs, beds and wardrobes.
The original furniture donors wanted to remain anonymous, he said. He added they were concerned that if their identities went public, others would request further handouts.
Risi said the college used about half of the gifts to furnish various departments in the school, putting new chairs in the library and beds in dorms.
ìWe used everything we could for within the college and then we have this extra,î Risi said. ìThis was an opportunity to give back to the community.î
When choosing which charities to give to, school administration consulted its donors and supporters to see which causes they cared about. The donors helped move the furniture, Risi said.
The college received the offer because the donors, past supporters of the college, bought more than they could use, he said.
ìThey had ordered it. And they had ordered a bunch more and then their own plans changed,î he said. ìSo basically, once they realized they couldn't use it all themselves, they were looking for charities to give to.î
Roberta Hammer, vice chair of the Olds Emergency Shelter Society's board of directors, said since the proposed shelter for the community is still in the planning stages, a society member is storing the items received from the college in a container on a farm in the Olds area.
The container is ìfilled to the brim,î she added, as the society was given 10 beds, 10, wardrobes, 10 nightstands, 10 desks, 10 dressers with mirrors and extra mattresses.
Hammer said she estimated the value of the donation, which the society received on Feb. 28, at $20,000.
