I was giving the remote on my TV a workout late one night during the 2020 pandemic, trying to divert my attention from another day of bad news when I came across an interesting interview.
The executive director of a not-for-profit organization that depends on contributions of shoes and socks and other apparel to fulfill its mission was complaining bitterly that vandals were breaking in to a drop-off box at night and taking whatever items donors had left for those in need.
Staff didn’t start arriving until 7:00 am so no one was around to gather up what had been dropped off overnight.
The executive director estimated that in the past year about $60,000 had been taken, cumulatively.
The executive director was ranting that society seemed to have lost its moral fiber. Before too long, the interview came to an end. No solutions were offered by the interviewer.
I thought to myself, this is completely fixable. I figured it would take about $25,000 to hire someone to be at the location every night. Surely, that would force them to find another “easy mark.”
I also thought about who it was that was dropping things off. Donors! What a wonderful opportunity to say thank you. And what a perfect time to have a conversation about what goods were most in demand to meet current needs because of the pandemic.
This worker, hired at $25,000 or even $30,000, would erase the estimated $60,000 loss and take someone off the unemployment line to do meaningful work.
Perhaps more importantly, donors would be made to feel good about what they had done and be more likely to donate again.
Maybe you have "fixable problems” you’d like to talk about. At Rescigno’s, brainstorming is complimentary.
At Rescigno’s, brainstorming solutions is always complimentary. If I don’t have a solution that works for you, I’ll find someone that does.
You can reach me at 708-974-2600, 105 or ron@rescignos.com.