City ‘Wishlist’ a blessing for local organizations

While there are plenty of opportunities to contribute to charities on campus, the city has its own set of charitable needs.\nBloomington’s Community Wishlist is a unique system of giving that posts community charity needs on the city Web site at www.bloomington.in.gov. Most donations come around the holiday season when the annual list is published in November, but new wishes are always being added to the list.\nLaurie Ringquist, director of Bloomington’s Animal Care and Control program, said that during the years it has been involved with the wishlist, it has continually generated donations. She said she has noticed the increase in donations around the holidays. Ringquist encourages those who don’t have time to offer, but who want to help out, to consider donating unused household items requested on the wish list.\n“The wishlist is a wonderful opportunity for the community,” she said. \nThe volunteer network in the city’s Community and Family Resources department has been around since 1983. Citizens can go to the city’s Web site and view organizations’ specific needs. The organizations do not ask for money, but instead for particular items they can use. This avoids sorting through items that are donated but not needed.\nThere are now approximately 75 organizations participating in the wishlist program, according to the Web site. Items needed for the various organizations range from baby supplies and musical instruments to office equipment and vehicles. It is an opportunity for unneeded items in a household or business to be donated that would otherwise be thrown out, according to the site. \nVolunteer Network Program Assistant Lucy Schaich said she feels the way the city Web site is convenient and very beneficial to organizations and potential donors in the Bloomington community.\n“It’s a great way to collect all of this information in one spot,” she said.\nIU-affiliated organizations that have necessary items on the wishlist include WTIU-TV, Hilltop Garden and Nature Center and Camp Kesem.\nCamp Kesem is run by IU students and is a free summer program for kids ages six to 13 whose parents have or had cancer. They have been on the city’s wishlist for about two months and have already seen results from it. Items Camp Kesem is still in need of include arts and crafts supplies, sports equipment and non-perishable snacks. Reena Vanjani, an IU senior and wishlist facilitator, said that all donations to their organization directly benefit the kids at Camp Kesem.\nThose who want to give to organizations can find contact information on the city’s Web site.