Community clothing drive benefits Adult Rehabilitation Center.
by Marlene Gerber –
Scouts stand in front of a mountain of clothes collected on Good Turn Day. |
San Diego Girl Scouts joined the Army…The Salvation Army, that is. The two venerable organizations teamed up for the 9th annual “Be Your Best & Do A Good Turn” community clothing drive that benefited The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center.
The massive countywide community service project has generated nearly 700 tons of reusable materials over the past nine years. Donations support the rehabilitation program at the San Diego ARC, the largest private non-profit facility of its kind in the county. Truckloads of clothing and household materials, collected at nine different sites, are brought to the center, where they are sorted, recycled and sold at Salvation Army thrift stores.
Girl Scouts also had the opportunity to tour the ARC facilities, including the work therapy warehouse and recycling center. Tours were led by ARC residents, who shared the impact that drugs and alcohol had had on their lives and on their loved ones. The girls saw first-hand how their efforts can make a difference in peoples’ lives.
“We are extremely grateful to the Girl Scouts for their tremendous support,” said Major Doug Williams, San Diego ARC administrator. “While the clothing drive and tours mark an end to the project for this year, it will hopefully mark a new beginning for the many struggling to overcome drug and alcohol addiction,” he added.