Four Conference Chairs-Three Pink and One Burgundy

With the down turn in the economy, my workplace is also experiencing cuts. Offices are being closed in an effort to consolidate services. So a couple of my colleagues drove out of town to clean out the Boston office. They came back with among other things three pink and one burgundy conference chairs. Now who in a business setting would want a pink chair in their conference room. My guess: someone who cannot afford a chair! Folks at work thought that perfectly fine chairs should be disposed in the dumpster. The "GrreenMomster" in me would not permit me to be silent at such a suggestion particularly, since I work in the environmental field. Now it takes money, time, courage and sometimes a combination of these to deliver solutions to save four chairs from ending up in the landfill. Four such chairs that have a lot of life left in them. So I called the Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Way, the Jerry Lewis Charity for Multiple Sclerosis ...... Nobody accepted the chairs or they did not have a need for them. Then I discovered Freecycle.org and a local group at Rutgers University and greatnonprofits.org. I join the groups, posted my four chairs and waited. In 24 hours I had one request for photographs of the chairs from a non-profit group. It turns out to be an orphanage which has a conference room but no furniture and hence no use for the room. They like the chairs. The main question "how will the chairs get to them?" I should know more tomorrow, but I am glad that such online tools are putting people in touch, helping keep objects out of landfills, and providing opportunities to make a change. One such opportunity is Leo Goes Grr's Grrecycle Room. Post to it, buy from it and grab your opportunity....