New Iowa City pop-up donation program replaces Rummage in the Ramp this year

Summer in Iowa City means moving as students and community members pack up dorms and apartments and head for new dwellings.

For 14 years, the Rummage in the Ramp program has provided a place for apartment-dwellers to get rid of unwanted furniture and household objects, then sold in a giant rummage sale with proceeds going to local nonprofits.

But as the pandemic forced the cancellation of the program for summer 2020 and summer 2021, the city is offering a new donation program for this year’s moving season.

“When we were in planning mode for rummage, deciding if we were going to host it or not, it was very unclear what public health guidelines would be,” said Jane Wilch, recycling coordinator for Iowa City.

The new pop-up donation drive will be held at several locations around Iowa City. The next drives are scheduled for July 10 and July 31.

Wilch said the addition of multiple of dates and locations for donating unwanted items will expand the accessibility of the program to more residents.

“One thing that we’ve noticed through some of our other programs as well, is that there’s also a population of students and community members that move between early June and mid-July that we weren’t capturing in the benefits of Rummage in the Ramp,” she said.

While the new program offers more times and locations than Rummage in the Ramp, it is just a donation service — there won’t be an option to buy the donated items.

Wilch said usable items like furniture, clothing, and appliances will be donated to the Salvation Army and Houses into Homes.

Residents also can donate unopened goods to food pantry Table to Table at the pop-ups, and recycle old batteries.

The program was kick-started in May with a pop-up event during move-out at University of Iowa residence halls, Wilch said.

“I thought it was a very well-received program, especially in the midst of a pandemic, still in the process of getting people vaccinated,” Wilch said. “I thought it was a good adjusted program to still offer some support to students who maybe didn’t have transportation, but still had useful goods that they don’t need anymore.”

Wilch said although the pop-up donation drop offers a more accessible option for now, it still is a pilot program.

“By the end of the summer we’ll look back on this program and determine if this is something we want to continue in the future or if the model of Rummage in the Ramp works better for our community,” Wilch said.

Comments: (319) 368-8827; rylee.wilson@thegazette.com