As Franklin & Marshall College students departed campus after finals and Commencement, unwanted items never went to waste thanks to Dips Donate. 

The campus initiative prevents waste by redistributing usable items instead of discarding them during move-out. In early May, student and staff volunteers collected and sorted more than 3,000 donated items, including books, cleaning supplies, clothing, decor, furniture, kitchenware, school supplies, small appliances, and unopened food and hygiene products.

“With final exams and a short turnaround for moving out, there is not always ample time for students to plan what to do with unwanted, but still usable, items. Dips Donate meets that need,” said Nic Auwaerter ’11, director of F&M’s Center for the Sustainable Environment. 

Dips Donate is a collaborative effort between the Center for the Sustainable Environment and the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement.

Items are donated to local nonprofits, along with the F&M Career Closet, F&M library system, F&M Student Food Corner, and the College’s newly-launched Give and Take Room (GATR). Housed in the Center for the Sustainable Environment, the GATR is a free, student-run exchange space to donate or pick up items such as books, blankets, winter clothes, and dinnerware. 

The following Lancaster nonprofits received donated items: CommunityAid, Habitat for Humanity, Lancaster County Food Hub, Lancaster Public Library, McCaskey High School, Tenfold, YWCA, and volunteers from various refugee resettlement initiatives.

Residents of the College’s three affiliated off-campus locations – College Row, College Hill, and James Street Housing properties – were also encouraged to participate in Dips Donate. 

The college collected 40 full mailcarts from College Row apartments, while James Street Housing organized its own system for collecting donations. 

While sustainable move-out practices have existed at F&M for years, Dips Donate has given a reinvigorated focus to reuse initiatives that benefit both students and the surrounding Lancaster community. 

"It's incredibly meaningful for F&M students to give back through the Dips Donate program,” said Lucy Deren, assistant director of F&M’s Ware Institute for Civic Engagement. “Together, we're building stronger connections and making a positive impact in our local community." 

F&M volunteers sorted donated household items to Habitat for Humanity, among other Lancaster nonprofits.

The Give And Take Room (GATR) at the Center for the Sustainable Environment provides an easily accessible space for students to donate and pick up items.

A snapshot of food items donated by students prior to move-out.

F&M’s community food pantry provides a space for students to access free food products.

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