Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:52     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Goodwill is an organization that pays subminimum wage, so while I wouldn't steal from the Lost and Found, I would advocate for the PTA to choose a different charity. In our area there are plenty of organizations that will make good use of gently used items.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:50     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:I don't see how this is a problem, honestly.

Let's say the PTA is in charge of moving the items from lost and found to Goodwill. I am on the PTA, let's say. I am boxing the items for goodwill...I'm putting them in my car. I find nice pants, a jacket, a lunchbox, and more. Can't *I* take those items?!? What difference does it make if I take it, or if I give it to goodwill (which throws a lot away).


Goodwill throws a lot away, but are the things they throw away the same as the things that you'd take? Or are you taking things that are higher quality and would have decent resale value?

I'm a teacher. I've raided lost and found at the end of the year end then traded with teacher friends at other schools, so I have age appropriate stuff to give my kids who don't have enough, and they don't run the risk of meeting the person whose pants they are wearing. But that's taking what was headed for charity and using it for charitable purposes. Taking what is headed for charity for yourself or your own kids is stealing.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:45     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I don't have a problem with it at all. There's absolutely no shortage of serviceable clothing at Goodwill. She is NOT "stealing from needy families."

And they make a decent amount of money on the clothing that was free (SA too). Don’t kid yourself, they profit. I’d rather my discarded kids items went to someone who wanted them, needy or not, minus he business schemes and profit.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:40     Subject: Re:What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's good for the environment since most of those items will end up in a landfill.

I think it is horrible when people don't hand clothes down or throw them away.


The school is donating them, not throwing them away!


I don't care where it ends up as long as it is not a landfill. If the woman wants used items I doubt she is throwing new things away, she will use them.

Besides all the "good stuff" goes to workers at Good Will and their families.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:32     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
I can't get that worked up about it. The people to whom the stuff belongs will have had notice and opportunity to claim their stuff. If they can't be bothered to do that, they have abandoned the stuff. So she's not stealing from those families.

A lot of stuff that goes to Goodwill or the like ends up shredded or in a landfill, not helping anyone, and I'd rather that an actual kid be using the stuff. Maybe it's a bit tacky, but at least the things will be used, not wasted.

And I'm sure there will be plenty left to be donated.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:17     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids take a Saturday class at an elementary school in the NW corner of Arlington. Every week I am amazed how many Patagonia and North Face jackets are hanging in L&F. How many jackets do these kids have? I don’t always chase down every lost mitten, but if my kid lost a winter coat or a fleece, I would notice.

It’s not right for non-needy families to steal from L&F, but you never know the whole story and I would probably look the other way. I don’t believe most of the stuff that gets donated even gets to kids who need it. I have taken all kinds of nice kids clothes to Goodwill and I never see anything nice in my local Goodwill. Every time I am there I see people dropping off kids bikes and yet I’ve never seen a bike for sale - despite looking for several months.


I used to be amazed at how many jackets piled up in lost & found, thinking "how could you not notice you lost a jacket?" until my kid lost a jacket. It was one of those days where it was cold in the morning but warmed up a lot so jacket got worn in the morning, none in the afternoon. I assumed it was shoved in the backpack and then disappeared into room at home. Since it was an unusually cold morning in a season of warm days, we didn't need that jacket for a long time. It was a long time before we noticed. Oops. I assume that's how many things get to L&F.


I always notice this on fall or spring days that start off chilly and end up warm. Tons of jackets left at the playground because, by the time they leave, they forgot they even brought them.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:16     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
If it is donated to Goodwill, there's a very high likelihood it will end up in a landfill, anyway, if it's not shredded for carpet padding.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 14:09     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Frankly, I don't have a problem with it at all. There's absolutely no shortage of serviceable clothing at Goodwill. She is NOT "stealing from needy families."
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 13:28     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
I went to a very wealthy school (Washington and Lee) and was an RA. When we would have to stay past the end of the year, the RAs would clean out dorms and donate whatever was left behind. Those disgusting rich kids left SO much nice stuff. A couple of us would get amazing things. And lets be honest, those girls and boys didn't 'recognize' a random black north face that they hadn't even cared to pack 6 months before, or burberry swim suit they left hanging in the laundry room, or a few random Lilly dresses still hanging in the closet bc they were too small after freshman 15.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 13:24     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:If your kid loses an item, why wouldn't you go claim it from Lost and Found? The kid/parent clearly isn't missing that item, so who cares if it goes to another kid in their school or to Good Will?


Yes this. They are taking home UNCLAIMED items that the school has repeatedly posted about and said to pick up by said date. At that point it is fair game for anyone to claim because the items have been deemed abandoned by the school.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 13:21     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If they are unclaimed on the last day, then they are free for the taking IMO. I'm sure this is common practice in every school, although I've never bothered to "shop" in the lost and found.

I do think there's a risk of having your child wear the jacket next year and having another child try to claim it. That's a mess I wouldn't want to be in the middle of.


Unfortunately it’s not your decision to make as to whether these items are up for grabs or not. The school didn’t announce that they are up for grabs—they asked the owners to come forward and take items or else the items are being donated. They items that these parents want to pilfer are obviously brand-name items of value, so actually items that are valuable donations to charities. If the school wanted to announce that students/families could come “shop” the L&F before the items are donated, that would be one thing and it would give everyone a fair chance to get a few new brand name items. But the fact that these moms want to sneak back there after the deadline and before the donation happens is definitely something the ethicist would look down on.


I guess the real question is whether one uses ethics to guide her behavior.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 13:20     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:If they are unclaimed on the last day, then they are free for the taking IMO. I'm sure this is common practice in every school, although I've never bothered to "shop" in the lost and found.

I do think there's a risk of having your child wear the jacket next year and having another child try to claim it. That's a mess I wouldn't want to be in the middle of.


Unfortunately it’s not your decision to make as to whether these items are up for grabs or not. The school didn’t announce that they are up for grabs—they asked the owners to come forward and take items or else the items are being donated. They items that these parents want to pilfer are obviously brand-name items of value, so actually items that are valuable donations to charities. If the school wanted to announce that students/families could come “shop” the L&F before the items are donated, that would be one thing and it would give everyone a fair chance to get a few new brand name items. But the fact that these moms want to sneak back there after the deadline and before the donation happens is definitely something the ethicist would look down on.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 12:59     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Unclaimed items in the lost and found are up for grabs. Have no idea what the fuss is about. If an elementary aged kid loses a north face jacket at school and the parents don’t check in the lost and found they are basically giving the jacket away. Yes there is potential awkwardness all around and yes it’s tacky. BUT if you aren’t the loser, the finder or the keeper it doesn’t involve you. Not sure how there is a moral issue here.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 12:52     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
Anonymous wrote:My kids take a Saturday class at an elementary school in the NW corner of Arlington. Every week I am amazed how many Patagonia and North Face jackets are hanging in L&F. How many jackets do these kids have? I don’t always chase down every lost mitten, but if my kid lost a winter coat or a fleece, I would notice.

It’s not right for non-needy families to steal from L&F, but you never know the whole story and I would probably look the other way. I don’t believe most of the stuff that gets donated even gets to kids who need it. I have taken all kinds of nice kids clothes to Goodwill and I never see anything nice in my local Goodwill. Every time I am there I see people dropping off kids bikes and yet I’ve never seen a bike for sale - despite looking for several months.


I used to be amazed at how many jackets piled up in lost & found, thinking "how could you not notice you lost a jacket?" until my kid lost a jacket. It was one of those days where it was cold in the morning but warmed up a lot so jacket got worn in the morning, none in the afternoon. I assumed it was shoved in the backpack and then disappeared into room at home. Since it was an unusually cold morning in a season of warm days, we didn't need that jacket for a long time. It was a long time before we noticed. Oops. I assume that's how many things get to L&F.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2019 12:49     Subject: What is your immediate thought on this?
If they are unclaimed on the last day, then they are free for the taking IMO. I'm sure this is common practice in every school, although I've never bothered to "shop" in the lost and found.

I do think there's a risk of having your child wear the jacket next year and having another child try to claim it. That's a mess I wouldn't want to be in the middle of.