How can I not give TROSA Thrift Store of Durham five stars? They were able to do what Habitat for…read moreHumanity ReStore (Durham) and the Durham Rescue Mission could not: They picked up our furniture donation from the third floor of our apartment building without an elevator. The other places either required an elevator or the furniture be moved to the ground floor.
Not only that, but the guys from TROSA, Quentin R and Christian, showed up on time and worked efficiently. Also, TROSA's Donations Coordinator, Cheryl Rogers, was great to work with. Everything was taken care of without any hiccups.
The lady I spoke to at Durham Rescue Mission referred me to TROSA. I had never heard of TROSA until that point in time. Shortly thereafter, I learned that my wife's clinic regularly treats patients from TROSA and my mom has donated furniture to TROSA's Winston-Salem thrift store. TROSA stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers.
Both Quentin and Christian came up through the TROSA program. If I recall correctly from my conversation with Christian, TROSA helped get them back on their feet. Quentin is older and I believe a graduate who is now a manager. Both guys were nice and did really hard work. They helped move the following for us:
1 office desk
1 office chair
2 loveseats with pillows
1 lounge chair with cushions
1 small table set (3 tables in 1)
1 fold-up shelf (3 tier)
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7 items total
The office desk was old, but in good condition, and super heavy. As soon as they saw it, Quentin said it was going to be "fun." They wrapped it in plastic to protect it before moving it. I was curious how they were going to move it. They didn't wear gloves or use a hand truck. They simply used their bare hands and raw strength, plus some moving blankets to help slide the desk on the second floor of the stairwell. I was really impressed. Christian took most of the weight, being the guy on bottom. It wasn't an easy task. Afterwards, Quentin and Christian told me the desk wasn't that bad. They've had to move much worse, like pianos. Just an incredible job by those two. It took them about 40 minutes to haul everything away.
Quentin ran the show. He and Christian were able to find our apartment door without having to call and ask where to go (a lot of delivery drivers got lost, but not these guys). They were uniformed in light blue TROSA T-shirts and black pants/shorts. While moving the items, Quentin had me fill out a Donation Pickup Form that listed everything I donated with an estimated value. At the end, all three of us signed it.
I received a copy of the form which serves as a receipt for an income tax deduction. Also, there was a place on the form where I could write in a tip, which served as an additional donation. I tipped $35 in cash. The pickup itself was free.
Beforehand, I coordinated with Cheryl over the phone and via email. We handled the list of furniture items to be donated and the scheduling and logistics of the donation itself. I was located in Chapel Hill and the first stop (11:00am) in Chapel Hill on Quentin and Christian's route that day, a Tuesday. You can call or email TROSA to get the process started. I emailed. Cheryl called me within one business day and was able to get me scheduled as soon as 13 days out, which ended up working out perfectly for us. Book early. One thing Cheryl asked me for was emailed pictures of everything I wanted to donate. She then called me again a couple days later to confirm the pickup appointment and details like parking, how many stairs and landings, etc. TROSA is thorough.
Quentin and Christian arrived in a large marked TROSA truck. Coincidentally, I noticed a TROSA truck at our same apartment complex less than two weeks prior to this pickup.
