If your book collection has run amok and the time has come to pare down, consider the benefits of recycling books through OppShop, the thrift store in Reading, PA, operated on behalf of Opportunity House.
Opportunity House’s Mission
Opportunity House’s mission to help the homeless begins with emergency shelter, which we provide 24/7 to the men, women, children, and Veterans experiencing homelessness in the Berks County area. We support 500 people annually, providing shelter, three meals and a snack daily, shower and laundry access, and supportive services directed by a case manager.
Supportive services may include a range of assistance – including help securing ID and licensing, access to job training, medical care, rehab, or other applicable services. We also provide transitional and permanent housing to help residents secure stable housing.
Opportunity House also supplies early childhood education and childcare for residents who are parents through the Second Street Learning Center and a reuse/recycle program through OppShop and our recycling warehouse.
Recycle Books through OppShop
As any bibliophile knows, your collection of works of literary art can quickly overcome your available space. As you identify books that you’re willing to donate, please bring them to OppShop, where we can resell them for the benefit of Opportunity House.
We welcome books in good, readable condition and will recycle any that don’t sell in the thrift store. For every ton of paper waste recycled, the planet saves:
- 3 cubic yards of landfill space
- 17 trees
- 380 gallons of oil
- 4,000 kilowatts of energy
- 7,000 gallons of water.
The market for used books is strong. At OppShop, we offer reasonably priced books alongside the rest of our gently used inventory.
The efforts of OppShop, our retail thrift store, work for the benefit of Opportunity House. Located at 3045 5th Street Highway in Reading, PA, OppShop directs all proceeds toward the shelter’s mission, and we offer our inventory to the residents as they need appropriate clothing or reading material. Any of our inventory that doesn’t sell is recycled through our recycling partners, and we recycle an average of 700,000 pounds of merchandise annually.
Donations for OppShop
The items brought to OppShop should be in good condition and free of rips, stains, pet hair, and other issues. In addition to books, we’ll accept donations of clothing, CDs, DVDs, kitchen items, holiday decor, furniture, flatscreen televisions, purses, shoes, toys, and stuffies.
We don’t accept chemicals, building supplies, older electronics, tires, or infant/toddler furniture.
Convenient donations to OppShop are possible by scheduling a pickup by our team if you have furniture or other large items to donate, or you can drop off merchandise behind the store at the donation center. The drop-off point is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10:00 am-6:00 pm, and staff members there will help you unload and provide approval or refusal regarding the acceptability of merchandise.
We also offer 14 donation bins spread throughout Berks County for the donation of books, CDs, DVDs, clothing, and shoes. When put inside the bin, these items should be in grocery bags. Large trash bags will not fit inside the deposit chute.
Recycling books and other household goods in Reading, PA, can become an environmentally friendly solution for a book addiction and a way to support the mission of Opportunity House.
