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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend June 10, 2006 'Good Elves' can clean out your garage, closets By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune For anyone who's ever wished a little elf would whisk away unwanted household goods, a new business can turn that fantasy into reality. Good Elves hopes to fill a growing niche left by nonprofit organizations unable to pick up donated items, said co-owner Katheryn Carnahan, 43. Goods are resold, and a portion of the proceeds given to a charity of the donor's choice. The former director of U.S. Cellular's defunct Medford call center, Carnahan hit on the idea cleaning out her garage. She was left with years' accumulation of unwanted furniture, tools, appliances and piles of clothing. The load required several trips to a local charity's drop-off site. "Having a garage sale seemed like too much of a hassle," Carnahan said. "I totally would have called someone and said 'Take it.' " But high gas prices have forced some nonprofits, like Southern Oregon Goodwill, to discontinue curbside pick-ups. Others, like The Salvation Army, are taking a close look at how running gas-guzzling trucks are cutting into their budgets. Because they keep 75 percent of resale proceeds, Good Elves can afford the gas to come to clients, Carnahan said. They also give donors the choice of which charity gets a cut. So far designated charities are Wildlife Images, Nature Conservancy, Dunn House battered women's shelter, and the Jewish Renewal synagogue Havurah Shir Hadash in Ashland, Carnahan said. Carnahan and her business partner Laura Nicholson, 29, plan to turn donations into cash on e-Bay and at flea markets and swap meets. After kicking off their Central Point business with a Saturday sale at the corner of Highway 62 and Vilas Road, they plan their next for July 2 at the Medford Armory. With each check to charity, Good Elves encloses a letter asking that the organization send a receipt to the donor for tax purposes. A copy of the letter goes to donors. Carnahan figures Good Elves can give $25,000 a year to charities. Word of mouth and a small direct-mail campaign have yielded Good Elves initial donations of furniture, electronics, tools, exercise equipment, kitchen items, books, toys and other goods. In several cases, they've assisted families who were faced with organizing estate sales following a member's death. "People are overwhelmed by their loved ones who have passed on their items," Carnahan said. The business may even expand to include helping clients with household organization or a "free store" stocked with surplus items open to the needy, Nicholson said. "It's a full-circle business where it's going to continue helping people," she said. Carnahan's former assistant at U.S. Cellular, Nicholson said she's excited about the prospect of helping charities without some of the politics connected to reliance on grant money. "Our hands were a little bit tied by the corporate world and now we're able to help." For more information, visit www.goodelves.com or call 855-1680. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy