In 2025, the Binghamton Move Out Project collected more than 34,000 pounds of items left behind by university students — in 2026, that number grew to over 46,000 pounds.
Created by Binghamton University graduate Christina Fuller in 2018, the Binghamton Move Out Project collects items that would ultimately end up in landfills and donates them to local organizations in need. In its first year, the initiative ran out of Fuller’s off-campus apartment and collected donations from 104 students, with overflow donations stacked all over her porch.
Eight years later, the project has grown to encompass entire conference rooms in Binghamton’s University Union, serve more than 50 local organizations and require the help of more than 100 volunteers.
Binghamton Move Out Project collects record 46,000 pounds of donations
Each spring without fail, the curbs of Binghamton’s West Side are littered with hundreds of perfectly functional appliances and household items, many of which end up in the local landfill. By diverting items from landfills, the Binghamton Move Out Project helps ensure that items which could go to those in need do not go to waste.
On June 2, the group hosted its first of two “Shopping Days” for local nonprofits, schools and churches to select which items they’d like — with all organizations “shopping” for free. The event’s second day was scheduled to continue on June 3, with organizations able to shop for a vast array of items including clothing, food, furniture, books, home goods, cleaning supplies and even holiday decorations and costumes.
For local groups like Vestal’s Jewish Community Center of Binghamton, donations collected can total thousands of dollars in value, making a real difference to the more than 30,000 community members the organization serves. According to COO Raychel Reilly, events like the Binghamton Move Out Project’s Shopping Days go a long way toward supporting the functions of the JCC, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027.
“We serve the entire community, from our infant program to our programs with seniors,” said Reilly. “These types of events allow us to save thousands of dollars, enabling us to focus on other things and further invest in our staff and our program.”
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton Move Out Project sees record donations in 2026
Reporting by Riccardo Monico, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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