Aevitas Inc. was founded over 30 years ago by two college friends who saw an opportunity to launch regulated waste recycling programs and hazardous waste disposal services. Today, it has grown into an industry leader. At the core of its mission is a commitment to sustainability: whenever waste materials need to be handled, the priority is always to recycle first, explore alternative processing options second, and only consider landfill as a last resort, diverting as much as possible from landfills.
But in the fall of this year, Aevitas led a very different kind of initiative, one that wasn’t about industrial waste at all. It was about warmth, compassion, and community.
The idea started as an internal conversation: How could the company engage employees in giving back? The answer came in the form of a winter coat drive. Joel, a sales and marketing advisor at Aevitas and a primary overseer of the initiative said, “It was a company-wide internal effort. We didn’t promote it to vendors or the public. It was really about giving our employees an opportunity to make a difference.”
The drive ran for three days, October 22nd to 24th, with designated collection areas at each facility. Employees filled forty-nine large boxes with over 100 winter coats, along with toques, mittens, scarves, sweaters, and snowsuits, all destined for Salvation Army Thrift Stores, where they will be given a second life, helping bring warmth and joy to individuals and families in our communities. These donations not only provided comfort during the cold season but also supported the Thrift Stores’ purpose to offer affordable essentials while generating funds for supporting vital Salvation Army programs and services.
“To make the initiative meaningful, we partnered with The Salvation Army Thrift Store,” Joel explained. “We wanted employees to feel that their efforts were recognized and impactful. Salvation Army’s long-standing reputation and presence in every city where we operate made them the perfect partner because every coat collected helps someone in our local communities.”
Rather than consolidating donations for a single delivery, the company chose to keep contributions local. “We wanted employees to give back to their own communities,” Joel explained. “And Salvation Army was the best conduit for that.”
For Aevitas, the coat drive was more than a charitable act, it was a reminder that sustainability and social responsibility go hand in hand. “If this inspires other companies to do something similar,” Joel said, “that would be great.”
Join us in making a difference. Host a donation drive with The Salvation Army Thrift Store. Together, we can extend the lifecycle of pre-loved items, support local communities, and provide care to those who need it most. Host a drive.
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Businesses of all sizes can make a meaningful impact by donating product to The Salvation Army Thrift Store. These corporate donations support our community programs while helping your company meet sustainability goals by keeping quality goods out of landfill.