New to the Idea Store? Wondering where to bring your donation?
Here's everything you need to know!
Where?
We accept our larger donations through our back intake door.
Got something smaller? You can take it to our back door as well, OR you can simply hand it to one of our cashiers!
How to get there from the store:
Exit the mall through the southwest doors.
Head right towards the Methodist church with the red roof.
Head down the alley between the church and the mall.
Take a right around the corner.
You'll see three large dumpsters and two blue metal doors. Our number is posted on one of the doors.
Call the number on the door (217-352-7878) during regular donation hours, and someone will come out to take your donation.
Donation hours: Wed-Fri, 12-5. Saturday, 10-4. No donations on Sundays or Tuesdays.
Why Can't I Drop Off My Donation After Hours?
In recent years we've noticed that people rarely leave their donations unattended by the front or back door after hours, and that's something we appreciate. Thank you for your kindness and consideration!
Every now and again, however, we come in to find items blocking our front doors or even the back intake doors. Here are a few reasons why that's not the right way to donate:
1.) It creates more work for staff. Our opening staff has a lot to do in the morning! Counting drawers, stocking items for sale, straightening shelves, breaking down boxes. Dealing with items left outside of donation hours gets in the way of opening the store and receiving scheduled donations on time.
2.) It can be a fire/safety hazard. The back intake doors aren't just our intake doors... they're also fire/security doors. For the safety of mall staff and patrons, they need to remain locked and unobstructed at all times in case of a fire or other emergency.
3.) Someone else could take your donation! If you drop things off when we're not open, it's very likely that someone else might wander by and take things before they reach us. We know how much time and care our customers put into packing things up for us, and we'd hate for your hard work to go to waste!
We hope our donation policy makes more sense to you now.
Thanks for reading, thanks for your kindness and understanding, and above all... thanks for your donations!
Stay creative,
-- The Idea Store
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