Items collected go to the Addiction Program of Mahoning County.

Items collected go to the Addiction Program of Mahoning County.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Behind the Lyden House dorm at Youngstown State University, juniors Bob DiRienzo and Chris Thompson loaded a recliner and a roll of carpeting into the bed of a red pickup truck.
As other YSU students were loading up to move out on Thursday, the men were loading up for another reason.
As staffers of the YSU Recycling Department, the two were collecting the unwanted items left behind by other students.
The men are among YSU staff and volunteers participating in this week's Dump and Run campaign on campus, which works to divert unwanted items from the trash and to people who need them.
The YSU Housing and Support Services and Recycling departments teamed up with the national nonprofit Dump and Run Inc. All items collected from among the more than 1,000 students living in campus housing will go to the Addiction Program of Mahoning County.
Students are encouraged to leave items such as clothing, linens, food, shoes, toiletries, books, CDs, radios, lamps, dishes, rugs, furniture, televisions, stereos and computers.
Left behind
Lyden House resident Scott Sherbine, a freshman, said he's left some pants and belts and a few packages of noodles in one of the Dump and Run boxes in the dorm.
"If we don't need the stuff anymore, it's going to a good cause rather than being thrown away," said Sherbine, of Sharpsville, Pa.
Freshman Liz Spaulding of Canton has dropped off some canned food: "It helps people, and it's stuff we don't want anyway," she said.
"One man's trash is another man's treasure," Sherbine added.
Jeanna Cunningham of Warren said she put food -- cans and drink boxes -- at a Dump and Run site. The second-year student would have thrown it in the trash if no one else wanted it.
Freshman Alison Pahon of Niles planned to leave shoes, clothes and food items. If not, she'd probably have donated the items to Goodwill Industries.
Program's benefits
Ron Williams, associate director of YSU's materials management department, also worked Thursday on Dump and Run at Lyden House. He listed the program's advantages.
"The first benefit is we do not have to bring in those large Dumpsters. Secondly, a lot of good usable items are not put into a landfill," Williams said. "Third, somebody benefits from it."
University officials expect tons of items to be collected during move-out days, which run through Saturday. Last year, enough items to fill a large truck were saved from the dump and donated to charity.
DiRienzo and Thompson said they've collected mostly clothes, canned food and carpets, but also, "anything reusable." Thompson, of Boardman, said he's seen chairs, televisions and even cinder blocks.
"This is stuff they don't need. Rather than sitting in a closet or getting thrown in a landfill, somebody gets to use it who can't afford new clothes or a TV. Any little bit can help them get on their feet," said DiRienzo, of Austintown. "A lot of this stuff is practically new. It's a shame to see it go to waste, and now it won't."
viviano@vindy.com