The recent reaction to the presence of our drop-off box for donations of clothing, in a letter in the Feb. 29 edition of The Marysville Globe, indicates a lack of knowledge about Northwest Centers place in Skagit County and surrounding communities. There is much more to this bin than meets the eye.
Northwest Center has served children and adults with disabilities and their families all over the state of Washington since 1965. We raise funds to provide education, therapy, job training and job placement by operating many enterprises. One of them, represented by the bin in question, is the collection and sale of donated goods.
Many people in Arlington, Mount Vernon, Everett and surrounding places have given their clothing donations to us for years and know our big blue truck when it comes to their street. The bin is a convenience for donors who prefer to give on their own schedule.
Besides clothing donations, we own and operate local businesses that contribute to the area economy. In Arlington, Metal Motion employs 32 people. In nearby Everett, Electronetics, also owned by Northwest Center, employs 38 local people. Our federal janitorial and grounds keeping contracts at Naval Station Everett employ 70 people in Snohomish and Skagit Counties.
These are people with significant disabilities, who belong to a category that has 70 percent unemployment. They have regular jobs with benefits, provided by Northwest Centers energetic pursuit of work for disadvantaged people. There is plenty of room in Arlington for more than one good cause.
What the people of Arlington and surrounding areas should be cautious about are the bins that are placed by for-profit companies who, under the popular appeal of recycling clothing, shoes and books, are pulling hundreds of dollars of support from organizations like Helping Hands and Northwest Center. These companies deceive the public who place items in their boxes believing they are giving to a charity.
We extend our thanks to all of you who have placed donations in the blue bin or left them for our big blue truck. You are doing a good service for a great cause.
Jean Kantu
Northwest Center
Seattle