AUSTIN, Texas — College kids may need help affording furniture and items for their off-campus housing. During the month of July, University of Texas at Austin students living in West Campus are packing up and moving out.
But the City of Austin wants to help with all the leftover items students may have. Austin Resource Recovery, Austin Code, UT's Office of Sustainability and the UT New Student Services Off-Campus Initiative are hosting Move Out ATX, an annual donation event.
Students can drop off gently used furniture, household items, small appliances, clothing, cleaning supplies, unopened food and more at eight donation stations throughout North and West Campus beginning July 28, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The program offers a convenient way to provide local reuse organizations with unwanted items in good condition. These items will only be accepted during operating hours.
"We definitely need help with shopper oversight and safety, kind of helping with car traffic in the large parking lot. So the traffic flow within there, making sure people understand sort of the rules of the market and helping them. Just make sure everything's safe and everyone is getting what they need," said Maddie Morgan with the City.
The Free Furniture Market is also returning for its second year. At UT Austin's Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex, Austinites, not just students, can come on a first-come, first-served basis and pick up gently used furniture they may need to furnish their house or apartment.
Depending on supply, there may be a two-item per person limit. Participants must be able to load and transport items themselves and will be required to sign a liability waiver. The market will be open July 28 to July 31, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. each day. If items remain, the market will open again on Aug. 1, from 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Updates will be posted on MoveOutATX.org.
"Typically, when students and residents need to move out, oftentimes their their large furniture and items end up in the alleyways and on the streets and on curbs. That can become a public access and accessibility issue. So we've seen this this program has been wildly successful over the past few years," Morgan said.
Organizers said last year, they gave away around 550 pieces of furniture. This year, they are looking for community volunteers to help.
Community volunteers are needed to staff the Free Furniture Market to give donated furniture back to the community. Volunteers are provided cold water, electrolyte drinks, snacks, cool-it towels and discounts to local businesses. Volunteers can sign up for 2.5-hour shifts at MoveOutATX.org.
MoveOutATX donation station operation times will be daily Friday, July 28, to Monday, July 31, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stations will be set up at the following locations:
- Pearl Street Co-op at 2000 Pearl St. (near 21st St. and Pearl St.)
- Campus Crossing Apartments at 300 E. 30th St. (corner of E 30th St. and Speedway)
- Hive Red River at 3401 Red River St. (corner of Red River St. and Luther Ln.)
- Escala Condos at 1000 W. 26th St. (near 26th and San Gabriel St.)
- Croix Condos at 706 W 25th St. (across from The Block on 25th)
- Lenox Condos at 915 W. 23rd St. (near 23rd and San Gabriel St.)
- Texas Tri Delta at 503 W 27th St. (parking lot on Nueces St.)
- UT Austin Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex at 287 W 51st St. (parking lot on 51st St.)
The Free Furniture Market will be open daily July 28 through July 31 from 6:30 p.m. 8:15 p.m. at UT Austin's Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex. If items remain, the market will open on Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
This year's participating reuse organizations include the Austin Area Urban League, Austin Creative Reuse, Austin Mutual Aid, Goodwill Central Texas, Salvation Army Family Stores, UT Outpost, Arms of Hope and JOSCO Products. Learn more at MoveOutATX.org.