AHUKINI — Activity was brisk and the sun was hot Friday at the Kaua‘i Resource Center, where The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center’s monthly collection was taking place.
“They’re going to have a really good day,” said Shantelle Rego, the project manager for the county Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division. “There was a line waiting when we opened the gates this morning. At 7:15 a.m., there was a car sitting out there.”
By noon, the ARC team led by David Chung has already processed more than 290 drop-offs, and still a line of waiting vehicles overflowed the drop-off lane and, at times, onto Ahukini Road.
Rego said on an average event, the team processes about 200 drops between on average between 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on collection days.
Chung said the team had already processed three shipping containers filled with contributed items, and were starting to fill an overflow holding area.
The volume of drop-offs may have been because the ARC team was not able to host the December collection because of the need for them to be put into service for other The Salvation Army activities for the holidays.
“People were waiting for this,” Rego said. “We had a lot of phone calls inquiring on when this was going to happen.”
The Friday collection also marked the start of the third year the ARC monthly collection program has been in effect, Rego said.
“I didn’t realize this until now,” she said. “But this program started in January 2020, so we just finished the second anniversary of the program.”
The Salvation Army ARC monthly donation event allows residents, businesses and organizations to bring in unwanted or unneeded items for reuse. This includes clothing, small furniture, children’s toys, books, shoes and even clothing not in good condition.
Restricted items include eWaste, chemicals, appliances or broken items.
Before bringing items to the ARC monthly event, residents are encouraged to check with their local thrift stores to see if they are capable of taking the items.
The ARC also offers pickup services to thrift stores and businesses. Call 808-241-4336 to schedule new service. Individuals who would like home pickup service need to contact the Habitat for Humanity Restore at 808-335-6105, or RP’s Random Closet (a for-profit agency) at 808-346-0020.
The next The Salvation Army ARC monthly donation event will take place Feb. 18 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Resource Center.
