Donation Celebration Event FAQs
What’s the purpose of this event?
We’re celebrating an exciting milestone—3 million pounds diverted from the landfill—and inviting our community into the heart of our process. This event is a chance for you to give common craft materials, fabric, and yarn a second life without an appointment, while also getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to make creative reuse possible.
Do I need an appointment to donate?
Not this time! For this special 2-day event only, no appointment is needed. Just stop by between 11AM–4PM on Saturday, June 7 or Sunday, June 8 with your donation of pre-approved materials in tow. We’re inviting donors to get into the action alongside our friendly staff and volunteers by sorting their own donations into pre-labeled bins and learning more about our processes! Be sure to check the Donation Celebration Accepted Items list before you come.
What items can I donate?
For this special event, we're focusing on a more limited list of materials that align with several of our volunteer sorting projects that will also be happening this weekend in Volunteer Land! It’s a little different from our usual “What We Accept” list, so please review our Donation Celebration Accepted Items below. If this goes well, we hope to host more themed drop-offs in the future!
Donation Celebration Accepted Items:
Acrylic sheets
Candles
Clothespins
Craft cork
Craft kits
Fabric
Faux floral
Feathers
Felt
Foam shapes/stickers
Glue + hot glue guns
Googly eyes
Jingle bells
Magnets
Nail polish
Pipe cleaners
Playdough
Polymer clay
Pom poms
Popsicle sticks
Rope/string
Sequins & rhinestones
Styrofoam balls
Yarn
Why are you limiting donations to certain materials?
Great question! This event is all about transparency—showing you what really happens after a donation is dropped off. The materials we’re accepting this weekend reflect the real categories our staff and volunteers sort into regularly. It’s a hands-on way to learn how thoroughly your donations are processed, and why thoughtfully pre-sorting your donations before you drop off means so much to us.
How much can I donate?
We're asking donors to keep it to 1–2 boxes (about an armload) per person. Why? Because you’ll be sorting it yourself onsite! It’s a fun and eye-opening way to experience the donation journey—and we promise you’ll walk away with a new appreciation for what happens behind the scenes.
Can I donate more than once during the event weekend?
Absolutely! If you have more to give, feel free to come back—but we do ask that you limit each visit to 1–2 boxes. That way, everyone has room to sort and participate comfortably. We’re excited to see you, whether it’s once or twice (or more)!
How should I prepare my donation ahead of time?
To make sorting a breeze when you arrive, we suggest checking out our Donation Celebration Accepted Items list ahead of time. Bonus points if you pre-sort your materials into sandwich or gallon-sized bags—it helps keep things organized and speeds up the process for everyone. We’ll also use those same plastic bags later on to create bundles for sale!
What do I do when I arrive at ACR?
You’ll find this event set up under the portico at the front of our center, and our team will be there to support you every step of the way. Dozens of labelled bins will be spread out over several shelving units that you will sort your donation into. Bins will be labelled in Spanish and English, accompanied by illustrations. Once you’ve sorted everything, you’ll receive a thank you coupon for 15% off your next in-center purchase, plus a celebratory sticker to show off your reuse spirit! If you have some time, be sure to also pop inside to check out a Community Volunteering session in Volunteerland (located at the back of the building). Community volunteering will be happening throughout the weekend—it’s a great way to see the rest of the journey for your donations before they arrive in our retail space.
Why do I need to sort my own donation when dropping it off?
This event is all about pulling back the curtain on what happens after your donation hits our doorstep! By sorting your own items into labeled bins, you’ll get a hands-on look at the time and care that goes into making materials ready for reuse. It’s a great way to learn, connect with our community, and see just how big an impact your help can make. Plus, if this goes according to plan, we can host more fun, walk-up events like this in the future!
What kind of coupon do I get for sorting my own donation?
As a thank-you for rolling up your sleeves and sorting your donation, you’ll receive a 15% off coupon for your next in-center purchase! (Just a heads-up: the coupon excludes items listed on our eBay store.) It’s good through Sunday, June 15 at 6PM, so shop that day or come back soon and treat yourself to some reuse treasures!
How can I join the Community Volunteering sessions?
You can join a Community Volunteering session by signing up through our GivePulse page! We’re hosting four events this weekend—three will focus on organizing specific materials like yarn, fabric, or craft supplies, so you can choose the one that excites you most. The final session will be a surprise based on what’s donated over the weekend. All events are open to the public, and anyone under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. No application or experience is required, but advance registration is a must. Sessions are held frequently, so check our calendar for the latest schedule—we can’t wait to see you there!
Why do you usually require donation appointments?
Because our community is incredibly generous! We receive 35,000 to 40,000 pounds of materials every month, and that's a lot for our small but mighty team to handle. Before we started using appointments, our donation area would fill up quickly and become unsafe for staff and volunteers. Now, appointments help us keep things flowing smoothly and safely. This event is a special experiment—we’re testing out what it looks like when our community helps us sort materials on the spot. If it goes well, we’d love to host more walk-up donation events in the future!