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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
This is Awesome News Daily.
I'm David Beach, findingstories, sharing stories, having
you listen.
That's awesome to me.
Stories like this one.
Jennifer Molsky was sitting inher postage stamp-sized Chicago
apartment one afternoon in 2001when a light bulb went off in
her head.
All around her were scores ofgifts she had received from
friends and family over theyears, ranging from scarves and

(00:23):
faux floral arrangements tocountless knickknacks that she
had been unable to use.
I was stashing stuff in Istarted to feel guilty about not
putting these items to good use,and suddenly I thought to
myself, there's got to be abetter way.
Molsky, who was employed as asocial worker at the time, knew

(00:44):
there were numerous people inher community who would be
thrilled to receive her unusedgifts.
And for the past 23 years, the55-year-old Flossmoor, Illinois
resident has been doing her partto not only remove the stigma
attached to regifting, but alsoto brighten the lives of others.
of isolated, overlooked seniorsliving in public housing with
recycled presents.

(01:05):
Molesky's Leave It For Lovenonprofit has collected nearly
10,000 unused items, bars oflavender-scented soap, perfume,
stuffed animals, makeup, andmore, and distributed them
throughout the Chicago area.
It's a pretty simple program,just me and my husband, but it
packs such a big punch, shesays.
I'll never forget one woman whochose some lipstick and told me

(01:26):
she hadn't felt so beautiful inyears.
It's just amazing how somethingas simple as a tube of lipstick
can lift the spirits of an olderperson.
It all started with a simpleflyer Molsky posted on the door
of the laundry room at herapartment with a message that
read, Do you have unwanted giftsthat you're not able to put to
use?
Why not consider re-gifting themwith us at Leave It For Love?

(01:46):
Local media picked up on herefforts, and before she knew it,
her gift recycling program tookoff.
In recent years, donors havedropped off items at a local
brewery near her home.
She collects items beginningeach December, shortly after the
Christmas holiday and continuesuntil a few weeks after
Valentine's Day when she sayspeople get all sorts of
chocolates, stuffed animals, andlittle tchotchkes that make

(02:08):
perfect gifts for our olderadults.
A few years into her re-giftingcampaign, Molsky realized she
was really onto something when afamily friend reached out to
donate to her cause.
A few days later, she drove overthe woman's house and collected
a box filled with items andadmits she was tickled to see
that the woman had included aWaterford vase in the box that
Molsky had given her monthsearlier.

(02:29):
I got a laugh out of it, shesays, because my whole point
behind doing this is to putthese items to better use, and I
know that a senior citizen wassoon going to be enjoying that
nice little vase.

(02:59):
They're just doing it out of thekindness of their heart.
That's awesome news.
This is Awesome News Daily.
I'm David Beach.
Thank you so much for listening.
Have fun and go find a way tomake someone's day maybe just a
little tchotchke.