Fine, I'll just take my stuffed animals and...something...

[TexasT]

(Background) So I'm a teacher. I'm also an adult, kidless, and do not collect stuffed animals. But every holiday and birthday, students give me stuffed animals. It got to the point at the end of this last year where I had a big bag full.

My mom read about an organization that found stuffed animals and gave them to police officers. They then keep them in the car for situations where children need comforted. So I decided to do something good and give them that bag of stuffed animals.

So, in June, I went in to the police station:
Me: Hi (gave background above) and I was wondering if you could use these stuffed animals.
Woman: Oh my goodness, you are so sweet. Can I hug you?
Me: (Surprised) Yes?
*She came around from the cage of glass, gave me a hug, and looked at me with tears in her eyes.*
Woman: You don't understand how much good you did today. You really don't.
Me: Well, I hate to think of all these gifts, which I'm so grateful for but have no use for, being wasted away when there are children in the community who can use them.
Woman: And the elderly! We have several Alzheimer's facilities in town and every once in awhile one of the patients manages to escape. These stuffed animals really keep everyone safer and calmer.
Me: (tearing up at this point as I had just, within a week, got back from visiting my grandfather with Alzheimer's) That makes me glad too.
Woman: Oh, I just love this so much. Here, let me give you my card. That way, you can call me next time you collect some and I can make sure credit gets where credits due.
*She handed me her card*

We said out good-byes and I went home to post, "Had a very busy day. Just left the police station," as my Facebook status. Haha, the reactions were fun.

Fast forward to today. When going through my classroom stuff, I discovered a few stuffed animals, so I decided to donate them again. I didn't call the woman from before because (1) I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it today and (2) I figured that if the only reason she wanted me to was because she wanted me to get credit, that wasn't really important to me anyway. If I just go back and give them to the station, they'll make their way back to her anyway, right? Wrong.

So the conversation from today:
Other woman: Hello. How can I help you?
Me: Hi, I'm just here to donate some stuffed animals.
Other woman: (cue CBF) We don't take those.
Me: (Surprised) Oh, ok.
Other woman: (continuing CBF) Yeah, we have no use for them.
Me: Alright, then, thank you.

And I exit.

Really? In 2 months, things have really changed that much? I don't know if I should call the first woman to still try to give them or just take them to Goodwill. Part of me wants to e-mail someone higher up just to confirm policy, but I'm afraid I'll get nice woman in trouble if she wasn't supposed to take them.

[Merriweather]

I would call the first woman and ask if they still take them. The woman you encountered the second time could be someone new, a temp, from a different department, or for some other reason simply hasn't a clue.

So many police departments do this, the last place I lived even had an annual Teddy Bear drive.

It might be the have some rules (like they have to be new, so they don't get ragged dirty ones donated) and the second lady for some reason assumed they were used.

But I'd definitely contact the first lady to find out, cause they'd do ever so much more good going to the police department for kids than just stuck in a goodwill shop with a ton of other stuffed animals.

[dalesys]

It might be the have some rules (like they have to be new, so they don't get...

...ones with custom modifications...

[Aethian]

One of our officers usually has a teddy beat riding up front with him next to his computer. One year he had one so big they were able to put a officers hat on it and he even got a fake badge.

[Crossbow]

If the policy has changed and the police no longer accept stuffed animals, check with the local fire departments. That's what my wife and I did when we cleaned out our collection a while back.

[dalesys]

... has a teddy beat riding up front with him...

Oh, that's the famous Teddy, the Beat Cop...

Didn't he arrest Jack Keroac?

[csquared]

Definitely call the first woman. It could be that the police them selves do not collect the toys, but work with a charity that provides them the toys or some other arms length transaction. It may be that the first woman was associated with the charity while the second woman was not.

And is that doesn't work out, there are a number of other charities that will take those toys. *See sig line*

Another good choice would be your local Child Services.

[raudf]

I think our local enforcement office had to stop taking them due to health concerns. IIRC, they were finding things in the fur that shouldn't be there and were worried about possible issues from that. What they do now is take monetary donations and buy cute little ones that are dressed up as cops to give the kids that they help.

Our stuffed animals now go to a local food pantry to help raise food funds. (They have a dry cleaner that works with them for free.)

[Aethian]

Oh, that's the famous Teddy, the Beat Cop...

Didn't he arrest Jack Keroac?

How do you always manage to find my weird autocorrects? *poke poke pokes*

[bhskittykatt]

I remember when I was seven and was in a car accident. I got a little stuffed doggie in a soccer uniform holding a soccer ball.

I would give the first woman a call. As others have said, the lady you got the second time could have been a temp, or could have misunderstood.

Our company every year does a teddy bear drive. We don't participate. Why? Because the local PD, fire dept, women's shelters, etc, get SO MANY donations already that they don't need any! (I also tried to give some of our old blankets to the humane society, and they were overstocked and didn't need any more!) I suppose it's nice to live in a community this generous...on the other hand, there are prizes for the property collecting the most teddy bears, so take my stuffed toys, dammit!

[dalesys]

How do you always manage to find my weird autocorrects? *poke poke pokes*

edit: Pokehauntus, check my user title.
Pune: To stand the idea of communication on its pointy little head and make it regret that it was ever conceived.

[Pixilated]

I think our local enforcement office had to stop taking them due to health concerns. IIRC, they were finding things in the fur that shouldn't be there and were worried about possible issues from that.
*snip*

Sadly, the thrift shop I used to volunteer at had at one point stopped taking stuffed animals for the same reason. Some of us volunteers would take them home and launder them; they would then be put in a plastic bag with the word "LAUNDERED" in big letters on it.

However, it's also true that stuffed animals, freshly laundered or not, can often pile up at second-hand shops. Don't know if it's just the economy (so depressed that people can't even afford them at thrift-shop prices) or what.

Hope you can find a solution to your oversupply, LOL. They are basically new and it's a shame to think of them just ending up in the trash.

[Merriweather]

However, it's also true that stuffed animals, freshly laundered or not, can often pile up at second-hand shops. Don't know if it's just the economy (so depressed that people can't even afford them at thrift-shop prices) or what.

.

Some cuddly toys just don't look that great after laundering, some can only really be surface cleaned, etc. So you can't always be sure how clean they are all the way thru, things can get down in the stuffing that just doesn't really wash out. Kids & animals slobber on them, pee on them, drinks get spilled - you just never know.

I admit, I'll buy a cute new/clean looking (and smelling ) stuffed animal if I know the recipient will sit it on a shelf for decoration, but I rarely would buy a used stuffed animal for a child, especially a baby.

I love garage sales, thrift stores, etc, but there are a few things I just won't buy used - like cuddly toys for a baby, underwear, or shoes. Not saying it's wrong to, just that those particular things bother me.

[Pixilated]

True! I saw one or two nice-looking stuffed animals at My Old Thrift Shop that I was pretty sure would fare poorly in the washing machine. I bought them anyway ... they were in great shape, looked as though they had been well-cared for, and the only mouths they are likely to end up in are those of my cats.

[Kristev]

I suggest the Salvation Army. Those stuffed animals could make several little kids' Christmases. Trust me.