A new program at the Morrison County United Way provides items such as sheets and towels to county residents in need.The Gifts in Kind program was launched July 14 in Little Falls and also is aimed at helping communities such as Motley, Royalton and Pierz. It has already seen a trickle of requests, executive director Jody Scott-Olson said.“People usually don’t spend that much money on the kind of merchandise provided. They tend to use what they have, so we thought it was a good idea to try,” she said.

The program has contracts with St. Cloud’s Bed Bath & Beyond and Guess in the Mall of America.Scott-Olson said the businesses were looking for a charity to donate merchandise to, essentially founding the Gifts in Kind program for the county. The items offered are often returned items, sale samples, overstock or “as is” items with minor flaws.

“We picked up contracts in April, and we had such good quality merchandise, we wanted to build the program,” she said.Kandiyohi County also provides a Gifts in Kind program through United Way. It has been operational for about six years and includes a warehouse and a delivery truck, Scott-Olson said.

“I really don’t know what kind of response we’re going to get,” Scott-Olson said about Morrison County’s effort.She is the only paid staffer on the project, but volunteers are helping. Gifts in Kind teamed with 10 agencies to get started, providing merchandise request forms to be handed out to people in need. The agencies can use the forms to help indicate what is needed most.

The program isn’t just an income-qualified program though, Olson said. It also seeks to help seniors and others who might be ill or handicapped and need assistance.“We are going to run it for a year as a pilot project with the option of renewing the contracts,” Scott-Olson said. “We are trying to figure it out as we go, but expecting a good start.”