The National Organization of Professional Organizers has decided to grant its 2010 Organizing Excellence Award to the Waste Not Center of Columbus, Ohio. The award will be presented by Sheila Delson, NAPO’s Awards Committee Chair, at NAPO’s 22nd Annual Conference and Organizing Exposition. The Conference will be held in Columbus from April 21 to 24.
The Waste Not Center is a center dedicated to storing, organizing, and recycling supplies that would otherwise be thrown away. It receives donations of art and office supplies from businesses and individuals, organizes them with its other donations, and stores them. The donations accepted by the Waste Not Center include paper, pads, notebooks, paint, brushes, glue, fabric, pens, markers, foam core, vases, silk flowers, books, videos, folders, envelopes, pencils, and containers. It makes these materials available to artists, teachers, and community organizations for no cost other than a small annual membership fee. On an average day, the Waste Not Center provides about 1500 pounds of material and supplies to between 30 and 40 clients. If its members were to buy the same supplies and materials commercially, they would, collectively, spend an estimated $4,500 each week, or about $250,000 each year. In many cases, therefore, the Waste Not Center gives its members supplies that they could not otherwise afford.
The professional organizing industry, like the self-storage industry, has been concerned about recycling and reuse of unneeded materials for quite some time, and has made efforts to promote recycling across the country, such as setting up recycling drop points for Clutter Awareness Week (this week).
NAPO did not do a national search for award nominees. Knowing that its annual conference would take place in Ohio, NAPO asked its Ohio members to nominate candidates for the 2010 award. In addition to the Waste Not Center, two other candidates were nominated: the Cleveland Public Library, which is one of the largest public library systems in the world, and the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland, which provides a home-away-from-home for children who are receiving outpatient care for cancer, leukemia, cystic fibrosis, heart defects, and other serious disorders.
Sources used:
“NAPO to honor Waste Not Center with Organizing Excellence Award.” Earth Times. March 17, 2010.
National Association of Professional Organizers. “NAPO to honor Waste Not Center with Organizing Excellence Award.” March 17, 2010.