Hotel employee turns trash into charity with furniture donations

M.T LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) -- When the Wyndham Hotel in Mt. Laurel was replacing some furniture recently, the plan was to rent dumpsters and cart it all away.

But Sales and Marketing Director Vicky McCristal had an idea. Instead of spending $3000 renting trash bins, why not donate these sleeper couches and chairs to charity?

"Not only are they nice for sitting on and large enough for four people, but they serve as beds," said McCristal. "And we know people in Camden that don't have beds."

With permission from the Wyndham's owners, McCristal has been scouting out shelters, senior facilities and churches in the Camden area.

Almost 50 pieces have been donated so far, driven in a truck by Vicky's husband Kyle.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Market Street in Camden accepted a room full of chairs, and couches and are now trying to match them with new owners.

"Being from Camden there's always someone in need who can actually use the furniture," said Mitchell Morgan, St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Eric Moore, the caretaker at St. Paul's, loves the idea and has already personally delivered two of the pullout couches.

"They're gonna find a home. Someone else can lay on it and sleep on it," said Eric Moore, St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

McCristal says she is hoping hotels everywhere catch on and start doing it, too.

"When we're remodeling anything that we're gonna dump or trash, needs to be turned into treasure," said McCristal.

McCristal is a recent transplant from Michigan. her job brought her to South Jersey, where she is using her creativity to save her company money and offer a comfy chair or bed to those who need it.