Donor in Singapore gives away torn and tattered mattress to the needy, volunteer disappointed

As Chinese New Year approaches, many of us scramble to Marie Kondo the last vestiges of our belongings that don't spark joy.

While donating pre-loved items to those in need sounds like a noble cause, not all items are meant to have a second lease of life, especially broken and damaged goods that look like they're on the verge of disintegration.

It seems like not everyone got that memo, though.

A volunteer from Keeping Hope Alive, a private initiative that aims to aid the underprivileged in Singapore, shared on Facebook a recent experience that left a bad taste in her mouth.

Lee Siew Yian had chanced upon a donor giving away a couple of mattresses on Carousell for free, so long as she collected it from their apartment in Ang Mo Kio. Seeing that the listing showed a rather pristine looking mattress, Lee agreed and hired two movers to help transport them to some elderly folks in Geylang Bahru.

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What she received, however, turned out to be a couple of grubby mattresses, all of which sported large tears and exposed sponge. None of them were in a condition fit to be given away. Left with no other choice, Lee could only have the movers dispose of the mattresses.

"These mattresses made their way from a condominium in AMK only to be discarded at the rubbish chute of Block 62 Geylang Bahru," Lee wrote. "I paid $80 for two men to drive and sweat it out, only to dispose them(sic)."

She goes on further to elaborate that such a situation was not uncommon.

Very often, donors expect volunteers to collect donations from their homes, citing their unwillingness to bear the additional cost of transport on top of what they're giving away. As a result, volunteers would sacrifice their time and money just to pick up these donations.

Unfortunately, not every trip pays off. They've received items such as "disintegrated chairs, broken cupboards, mattresses with bed bugs, and many more unacceptable items".

Lee pleaded for future donors to donate items only of reasonable quality. She also mentioned how it would help if they could offer the volunteers assistance during transportation too, explaining how movers and transport companies are often paid to do the same while volunteers were treated as free disposal instead.

She wrote: "Please give us the dignity and please love us the same. Thank you."

There are plenty of places to donate old clothes, toys, furniture, books and even food in Singapore. The National Environmental Agency also offers a list of licensed waste collectors for those living in private housing estates who want to get rid of bulky items, while those living in HDBs can approach their Town Council for assistance.

rainercheung@asiaone.com