Forging a new currency for philanthropy Jim Stevens and the GiftsToGive
story
Bill Densmore talks with
Uber Volunteers at the Mill - July 20, 2011 | NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- In a former textile mill alongside the harbor where
Herman Melville set "Moby Dick," Jim Stevens, who once sold gadgets on late night television, is inventing a new
way to tackle poverty.
Stevens founded the non-profit GiftsToGive.org three years ago. On the surface, it's a warehouse
through which clothes, toys, books, infant gear, art, craft and school supplies are recycled, repurposed and gifted
to the needy in some of the poorest sections of Massachusetts.
"But wait - there's more," Stevens says
with the same enthusiasm he used to summon when selling cutlery and kitchen gadgets in the 1980s. GiftsToGive is not primarily
about the gifts given to the kids. It's about the gifts given by more than 12,000 young people a year who come "to
work" at their SouthCoast Mill, in New Bedford.
Supervised by boomers and retirees, all volunteers, the work
of taking in, sorting, repairing, cleaning and packaging gently used materials is the bigger point of Stevens' effort. He's
trying to create a culture and a non-profit business, which depends upon the kindness and support of volunteer seniors and
youth. The by-products of this work are helping thousands of local children living in poverty and building a more caring and
connected community.
In this 45-minute video, Stevens tells the story of GiftsToGive, walking us through the recycling,
repurposing mill, and introducing us to the students and adults who are among his key volunteer team. He also talks about
a shared vision to connect a generation of young people to big citizenship and and a new, tangible philanthropy.
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