ShareFest 2010 donations help over 600 families

More than 600 Butler County families received furniture, food or clothing from this spring's ShareFest. "Don't throw it out! Make it count!" was the motto for the sixth annual program that finds new uses for unwanted items as Miami University students move out of residence halls and Oxford rentals.

Donated clothing, food and furniture items flooded into Oxford’s Family Resource Center (FRC) over eight days as 195 volunteers–both from Miami University and the Oxford community–helped transport and sort donated items last May.

The number of local families and social service agencies that benefit from ShareFest has increased since the event’s first year in 2005. This year, an 11-member Hamilton family received 10 beds for children who had been sleeping on floors. Bunker Hill Haven for Boys acquired clothing items and a foosball table for recreation time.

“It was a huge success for partner agencies, the people involved and the entire community who was served,” said Rory Uhler, Family Resource Center coordinator. “In many ways, we were able to serve more people this year than in the past.”

Miami University students contributed record donations of clothing and food items during move-out week, in addition to more than 600 large furniture items. All residence halls on campus participated and students/residents in 172 houses and apartments scheduled pick-ups for ShareFest 2010.

For the first year, ShareFest 2010 used a thrift store approach to re-sell donated items at a low price. Proceeds of the event went toward emergency assistance for low-income residents in the Talawanda School District.