In honor of the move to the sweet new digs — think a modern aesthetic with an open-concept exterior and interior that includes tons of room for public and private events alike — the non-profit has put together a house warming wishlist on Gooddler to help them through the transition.
“Your gift will make it possible for our programs & groups to thrive,” the community center explained on the donation page (which can be found right here).
Needed items include cleaning and cooking supplies along with video games and storage systems.
The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland is closing to the public May 27 to June 3 for the move. They plan to reopen June 4, with the official ribbon cutting and building open house going down June 14.
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This article appears in May 22-28, 2019.
Something is fishy about that wishlist. Everything is more expensive than it should be and the amounts are enough to outfit a residential kitchen, not for the amount of traffic a community center is bound to see. I have to imagine there will be more than 4 people dining at a time here, so I think anyone who does donate may be enriching an individual more than a community, are there any past instances of fraud at this place?
A nearly $70 snow shovel? Something about that seems off given the amount of poverty just down the road along the West 80’s and Detroit
Forty bucks for a BROOM? Seventy bucks for a snow shovel that the Habitat For Humanity ReStore on West 110th will sell them for THREE dollars? A hundred-and-fifty smackers for a mop and a bucket? WTF is going on here? All that kitchenware? I gave up scrolling down this absurd ‘wish-list” long before I got to all that crap. Are they opening a community center or another Gordon Square restaurant? And why the hell are they buying from Amazon? Ever hear of STORES?
Hey, I’m what they call an “ally”… we allies even have our own flag now. I’m old, white, and straight…but I have supported LGBT causes for decades and I have a large extended family…as does my wife, and we have quite a few gay and lesbian relatives in both clans. But something just doesn’t sound kosher here.
These prices are ridiculous, and you don’t need to buy new and shiny stuff for a new and shiny facility. An old broom will sweep just as clean, and costs a buck or two at the store mentioned above. Somebody is making out like a bandit here, and anyone who ponies up for these things is enabling that chicanery.
Thanks for looking around our wishlist! The prices are higher than you would expect to see for household items because were a community center that will be used by many, many people. We are investing in high quality items that provide enough durability to last as long as we need them to.
Phyllis Harris, Executive Director
LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
pharris@lgbtcleveland.org
You buy the best you can find at the lowest price, and when it wears out, you repeat the process.
“We are investing in high quality items that provide enough durability to last as long as we need them to.”
Sounds like the same kind of bullroar routinely heard at the Department of Defense.
Nonprofits need to invest in high quality items & why shouldn’t they. For everyone complaining about the cost of the items why don’t you just donate $10? And before the complaints roll in for my comment yes I purchased items on the wish list & I donated. OR if you don’t like what you see why don’t you just move along. No comment needed.
Eastside_Chris, its just a matter of shopping off of Amazon at standard retail price points (aka whatever prices go with free prime shipping) and the fact that your purchase will benefit a NPO ergo becoming a personal tax deduction for whomever is the donor. The Center is probably one of the least corrupt organizations in Cleveland, especially under the leadership of Phyllis Harris-they are a selfless beacon of support and care for intersecting marginalized communities.
Why don’t YOU move along? A unicorn is a mythical beast, so there’s really notrhing to see here, and no snarky reply needed to yours .
See what you’ve done, Vince? Now the haters are all over the place…like roaches. NICE!