Freestore Guidelines for Advocates and Clients Paying a Fee
A check on the agency check head (the money must come from the agency/church and not the client) is due within 30 days of receiving our invoice. Do not bring a check to the warehouse. We will prepare invoices for clients served by your agency over the course of a month. Please put our invoice number(s) and any client information that you can provide without compromising confidentiality on the check. Make your payment within 30 days of receiving the invoice. The cost is $70 for a 1-2 person family; $85 for a 3-4 person family, $110 for a family of 5-6, $160 for a family of 7-8, and $210 for a family of 9-10. It costs the FreeStore approximately $300 to serve a family of 4.
FreeStore volunteers move the items into a FreeStore truck and move them to the curb at their address. The client is then responsible for moving selected items from the curb into their home. It takes at least 3 strong people to move the items. We will not leave items at the curb; if the driver determines help is not sufficient to move items into the home, the driver will return the truck with all items back to the warehouse. OR, the client can bring their own truck and help.
The warehouse loading area is next to Des Moines Jiu-Jitsu Academy, 841 11th St in Des Moines.
It is the responsibility of the agency’s representative to assure that the client treats the volunteers ( greeters, loaders and drivers ) with respect. The advocate or someone from their agency must come to the warehouse with the client. They shall also be on site when the goods are delivered. We reserve the right to refuse to serve any family who does not treat the FreeStore volunteer with respect.
We serve all qualified clients and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability.
We may limit the number of times per month an agency may send us clients.
We limit our services to advocates/agencies/faith based organizations that have ongoing relationships with the families they want to sponsor. We reserve the right to refuse service to any person, advocate, or agency we feel does not meet the intent of our requirements.
Normally, only the advocate and the client are allowed to go “shopping” with the Greeter. Other helpers are to remain in the front of the warehouse except when moving/loading furniture. We will only give items to a family who already has a house, condo, duplex, apartment, etc. We DO NOT give items that will be moved into a temporary place until the family has found housing.
With few exceptions, clients are only allowed to use the FreeStore once. If a second trip is allowed it cannot be within 5 years of the first service.
Finally, the Greeter is a volunteer and is at the warehouse to serve the advocate and client by appointment. The client must notify the advocate or Greeter in advance if the appointment cannot be met. If a client cancels twice, their request may not be served.
