[Magdalen] how long have I been hanging around with you folks

[Grace Cangialosi]

Years ago a priest who was doing a lot of work with homeless people made an announcement at our annual convention that if people wanted to donate their unused toiletries for homeless shelters, there would be boxes at the back for them. Now they are frequently given to women's shelters. As has been pointed out, hotels expect them to be used, and I don't see anything wrong with taking them. Sometimes I'll take them to replenish my travel bag.

> On Jan 23, 2017, at 5:02 AM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> The stuff they have in the rooms is bought in bulk.  It's certainly not a
> great expense. Obviously a bathrobe is going to be different. Towels also
> can be a bit pricey, but the original stuff we were talking about -- it's
> nickel and dine stuff.
> 
> Bottom line, if it's put out in the room, it is expected that guests will
> use it.  Whining about how people take what is put out for them -- to, uh,
> take -- sorry, not sympathetic.  If the B n B man doesn't want guests to
> take the stuff, he could just put out a sign that guests can ask for soap
> at the desk (or whatever passes for a desk in his operation) if they need
> it.  Guests may look on that as a bit cheap (which of course it is), but
> you do what you gotta do...
> 
> I've never heard of anyone taking soaps and shampoo and giving it to
> shelters.  That's kind of a novel idea, I must admit, but I've never heard
> of it elsewhere.
> 
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
> 
> On Sun, Jan 22, 2017 at 7:30 AM, Roger Stokes <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com
>> wrote:
> 
>>> On 22/01/2017 03:11, James Oppenheimer-Crawford wrote:
>>> 
>>> I believe we were talking about shampoo and soap.  As I was wondering, if
>>> you use it at all, of what possible use would it be to leave the remainder
>>> there?  I would assume that it would be a kindness to take your used items
>>> with you, but perhaps I am wrong.
>> 
>> On my recent trip to the USA one hotel had a notice in the bathroom saying
>> that soap that was left would be processed and donated to the homeless.
>> Personally I unwrap only one bar per hotel stay, leave toiletries I have
>> not touched but take the ones I have part-used. One hotel quoted the price
>> of a bathrobe if you wanted to take it while an economy one said that
>> because their towels were so popular with guests they would assume ones
>> that disappeared were being bought, and quoted the prices they would charge
>> for them.
>> 
>> Roger
>>