Brennan Bestwick
Division of Communications and Marketing
MANHATTAN — It takes a calculated effort to empty a seven-story building of furniture: 38 hours of planning, 272 staff and volunteer hours, and the participation of 34 departments and 41 non-profits, to be exact.
Spring cleaning was in full swing as Kansas State University departments moved out of the Unger Complex last month. With an abundance of furniture, supplies and office items to clear out, K-State’s divisions of Financial Services, Information Technology and Facilities coordinated a surplus giveaway.
Furniture was first made available to K-State departments and local nonprofits before being offered to the public at no cost. Items ranged from office printers to desks to workstation wall panel dividers.
With each chair and whiteboard loaded into the back of a pickup, K-State's sustainability and community well-being values were on full display, said Memory Buffington, assistant vice president of university and shared services accounting and procurement.
"When we prioritize reuse, we minimize waste and uphold the university's commitment to resource stewardship," Buffington said. "This event was an opportunity to maximize the usefulness of university assets, reduce our need for new purchases and reinforce our role as a good community partner."
Local nonprofits were eager to participate, including Flint Hills Job Corps, which repurposed 289 items. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps is the nation's largest free, residential career training and education program for low-income adults ages 16 through 24, educating students in over 10 different in-demand industries. Together, Job Corps and the university share a common mission of bringing education, experience and expertise to Kansas and beyond.
Recent program changes had left the organization needing to furnish their classrooms rapidly, and K-State proved to be an invaluable partner.
"The timing was perfect," said Gina Shope, Flint Hills Job Corps director. "The furniture giveaway has allowed us to furnish all of our classrooms with desks, bookshelves and chairs. The impact of this event will be felt for many, many years, and I'm proud of the university for looking beyond itself to support the needs of our community."
In total, 2,316 pieces of furniture were rehomed to churches, labs, museums, youth programs and more - all while avoiding the landfill, thanks to a collaborative effort from motivated Wildcats and community partners.