By Teri Owens
Early next year, low-income veterans and their families will move into the 70-unit Lightfighter Village complex on the former Fort Ord. As Veterans Transition Center (VTC) teams prepare to open the new apartments, they have been collecting furniture, housewares and other items to help residents feel at home.
Community Reuse Network founder Carolann Manley has coordinated donations for prior VTC projects over the years. Working with members of the Monterey County Hospitality Association (MCHA), she has secured tables, chairs, blankets, pillows, artwork, small appliances, silverware and more. Today, Manley continues to expand and explore opportunities to donate for the soon to open VTC at Lightfighter Village.
"The people moving into these units don't own very much. They're coming from situations where they've had hard times," Manley says. "When you say, 'Here's a table and chair set,' or 'Here is a lamp and a coffee table,' you start to see that somebody is rebuilding a life. These items become really important."
The Community Reuse Network connects nonprofits with surplus items donated by hospitality businesses, hospitals and corporate partners. When hotels and restaurants renovate, or offices upgrade their equipment, these lightly used goods typically get auctioned off, shipped away or taken to a landfill.
But Manley and her friends, Sharon Sintetos and Joan Clay, make sure such items stay local – while benefitting charitable organizations and the community members they serve. They’re often assisted by Cardinale Moving & Storage, area Rotary members and a host of other volunteers.
“We’ve worked with nonprofits where staff members are sitting on folding chairs and have beat-up office items. They use their budgets for programs, not to replace things like that,” Manley says. “The items we gather are in tremendous condition. Often, they’re worlds better than what staff members or someone moving into housing can get.”
Redistributed items range from reams of paper to sofa sleepers to lobby sculptures. Some projects have moved furnishings from hundreds of rooms at large hotels like the Hyatt Regency Monterey and Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside. Manley evaluates donations and matches them to recipients based on nonprofits’ needs. Then, she works with partners to coordinate moving, storage and pick-up.
Nonprofits might spend a little on a rental truck, but volunteers load it with free items. Meanwhile, donating businesses support their neighbors and say goodbye to used goods without paying for shipping or disposal.
"There is no way we could do this without our MCHA partners. They can feel really good that items go into the community, where they'll be used for years,” Manley says. "We are helping so many different groups. We don't focus on just one segment of our community."
Janine Chicourrat, Portola Hotel & Spa managing director, first connected with Manley after completing some property updates. The Community Reuse Network found new homes for interior furnishings, outdoor planters and other items. Over time, Portola Hotel donations have benefitted Habitat for Humanity, Dorothy's Place, SPCA Monterey County, Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula, VTC and others.
"Carolann is a great facilitator," Chicourrat says. "We just coordinate a date and put things on our loading dock. She rolls in with her crew and takes it away."
The Portola Hotel has also donated directly to nonprofits like Gathering for Women, residents displaced by the Pajaro floods and student programs at Rancho Cielo. The hotel’s former teak patio furniture and office chairs are used across campus, while the school’s dining room furniture came from Jacks Monterey.
Chicourrat believes that donating goods is simply the right thing to do.
“Too often, things just get dumped. Being able to give to community members who are less fortunate and really need the help is rewarding,” she says.
Nathan Hanner, general manager of the Monterey Beach Hotel, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, also donated furniture and artwork after the property's recent renovation. Many items went to Last Chance Mercantile, the reuse store housed at ReGen Monterey's property north of Marina. By selling donated and salvaged goods, the shop diverts waste from landfills while raising funds for VTC programs.
Finding a local landing spot helped the sustainably minded Monterey Beach Hotel reduce shipping-related emissions. At the same time, Hanner’s staff strengthened local connections by giving gently used items to an organization that employs and empowers community members.
"The ethos of this hotel is local. Our produce is from Salinas. Our wine is local. The art is local. We are genuinely interested in supporting the community, and this was another way to do that," Hanner says.
To become a donation partner or join the Community Reuse Network nonprofit distribution list, visit communityreusenetwork.org. To learn more about MCHA, visit mcha.net.
