Donation Center? Is this why you can't make it here?

The Donation Center on High Bridge Rd....Wow...am I stunned....I've been following the saga of this organization for some time on the Bee and felt that I should do what I could to help the cause. I was told by a neighbor that the person who ran this organization was such a nice guy and how they would even pick up donations for free. Everyone I know in town knows my story. It's no secret. I recently lost my husband very unexpectedly this past Spring. He was 58 years old and a two time cancer survivor and lived through his aorta blowing up--in layman's terms. We thought he was in the clear with his health but it was not to be.

 My home is way too big for just my child and myself, and way too expensive for me to maintain, and soon I will have to put my house on the market. I don't have a lot of money to play around with. My husband and I owned our own small business since 1996. We paid health insurance premiums, etc out of the business and we were just about making it in a bad economy when both of us became ill. In fact just paying almost 2500.00 a month in health care premiums alone pretty much wiped out over 20 years of savings. So while his estate winds the slow course through probate pretty much freezing our assets I am still on a mission to try and ready my home for sale, which means clearing out 22 years of a life. We rented a dumpster at a discounted rate with a wonderful company All Phase Dumpsters (I did have a coupon and I do need them to come back for another run) who showed me and my son such compassion. My brothers came down and helped us to clean out "the big stuff" which consisted of broken TVs, old computers and "trashed by dog and small kid" furniture that I wouldn't even give away. However, there is still so many things of value left in our home; things we wanted to tag sale and some things we wanted to donate. But because we threw out our family room furniture we literally have nothing to sit on. 

My child and I decided that the best course of action right now, because he is soon off to college and we both need to downsize, would be to visit this donation center on High Bridge Road. My plan was to see if I could find a reasonably priced couch, loveseat and recliner, purchase them there and helping the vets in that regard plus giving this organization a check as a donation for their cause, as well as to donate items of value for them to sell to help the people they say they are helping.

After spending quite some time there and complimenting the men who seemed to be in charge on their center, we decided on a rocker, a couch and a recliner...550.00 in total. Not knowing the time (4:25 pm) and not knowing their closing time I told the person upfront that I was interested in one of two couches...one of those couches had a tag on it for 600.00. I asked if they would be able to move on the 600.00 price and the response I received felt like I had insulted this man. I was told the answer was no, in no uncertain terms. Okay, fine. I then asked about the measurements of the two couches up font and if one was bigger than the other. I was told only if he could pull out his measuring tape within 5 minutes because it was closing time. (Although others were shopping in the center). Then, here's the real kicker. After I had specifically told them I was a widow on a budget but I would write them a donation check (for money I do not have to give in all honesty) AND I told them I had a lot of items I'd like to donate to their center, I was told that to deliver one couch literally 90 seconds up the road and while they were there dropping off that one couch, they would be picking up about 5k worth of items to sell, the young man told me it would be 50.00 to deliver that couch for me, a disabled widow who brought her checkbook along to give them a monetary donation. And what seemed to bug this man the most? It was 4:25 and he wanted to close up for the day. So you know what? I will no longer sympathize with these people and their plight. You could have made 1k if you wanted to today but instead you were very rude to someone who wanted more than anything to help your organization. I am sorry I asked for your help 5 min before closing. I will donate my antiques to any other organization that appreciates the help. All I wanted to do was spend money in your center. You don't want it? Plenty others will gladly take it. Have a nice time in the city! Now I get it....