All five of Flair Cleaners stores will have donation boxes — and scales — ready for what they hope will be their most successful clothing drive yet. The number of items donated has increased each year. In 2009, they collected around 7500 garments that were then picked up by local charities.
There has always been some speculation about how many pounds of clothing are actually accumulated between all five stores, so this year, they’re attempting to find out – and they’re putting some holiday cash behind their quest.
“We did the math and determined that in order to donate the full $2500, we’ll need to collect 12 ½ tons of clothing altogether, and we’re hoping to do just that,†said owner Gary Futterman.
Flair has listed 20 charities on their Facebook Fan page in a box created especially for the holiday event, found under the aptly titled, “Holiday†tab. They want current fans and new fans to join in the fun by choosing their favorite, then voting for their worthy cause by posting it on Flair’s wall. At the end of December, all the votes will be tallied and the winning charity will get a special cash donation.
Anyone who has clothing items to donate can assist Flair in “Piling Up The Pounds†at any of their five locations: Valencia, Burbank, Studio City, Santa Monica, and Redondo Beach. Donations are appreciated from anyone – Flair customer or not, however, voters must be Facebook Fans to participate in the distribution of the additional holiday cheer.
Flair team members will be weighing the clothing coming in and keeping track of the number of pounds collected each day. Clothing will be picked up regularly throughout the entire program by four local charities.
This year’s charities are the National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop, St. Vincent de Paul’s Thrift Store, Helping Hands for the Blind, and Disabled American Veterans.
The National Council of Jewish Women is a volunteer organization that has been active for over a century, “championing the needs of women, children, and families.†NCJWLA.org.
St. Vincent de Paul’s Thrift Store was recently awarded “Best in America†by the Independent Charities of America organization. Their focus is on creating many ways to give aid to the less fortunate. SVPLA.org.
Helping Hands for the Blind was founded in 1990 by Robert Acosta, who was the first blind teacher to teach sighted children in the LA Unified School District, and was also appointed by the late President Reagan to serve on the State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Helping Hands for the Blind provides services and resources for the blind, such as help with legal fees, recorded books, and much more. HelpingHands4TheBlind.org.
Disabled American Veterans’ mission is to better the lives of all men and women disabled in our nation’s defense as well as their families by providing assistance in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service. They also provide representation for them, their families, widows and orphans before Congress, The White House, the Judicial Branch, and state and local government. DAV.org.
For more information: www.FlairCleaners.com.
