Patriot Packout (PPO) – University Sustainability

Patriot Packout's Free Store will be open Monday, June 23 - Saturday, June 28 from 10AM - 1PM and 3PM - 7PM each day. The Free Store is hosted at the Art and Design Building's Gillespie Gallery – generously provided by Mason Exhibitions – at George Mason University's Fairfax Campus. All items are donated by the George Mason community and available for FREE – register to thrift the Free Store!

Patriot Packout (PPO) is a community-based initiative collecting like-new and gently used donations that are freely redistributed to George Mason Patriots, on-campus resources, and local community resources. PPO decreases waste and prevents useful items from ending up in the trash.

Donate new, like-new, or gently used donations at Patriot Packout's donation locations. Volunteer to help us collect, organize, and support donated items.

PPO 2025 donations will support: the Patriot Pantry, First Gen+ Center, the Trans Clothing Closet, Art Supply Sharing Closet, George Mason Parking and Transportation, the MIX, and Food for Others, among others.

PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION

THE TRANS CLOTHING CLOSET

THE PATRIOT PANTRY

THE FIRST GEN+ CENTER

MASON INNOVATION EXCHANGE (MIX)

ACCEPTED DONATIONS

Gently Used, Like-New, or New Items: “If you wouldn’t give it to a friend, don’t give it to PPO.”

Bikes, Scooters, and Skateboards
- Bring to PPO outdoor donation drop-off or to Mason Parking and Transportation's Bike to Mason events. If you can't, please email [email protected] a photo of your bike and its bike rack location.
Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories
- All items must be clean and bagged separately. NO used undergarments, socks, or unwashed clothing.
Unopened, Unexpired Non-Perishable Food and Toiletry Supplies
- Food and toiletry supplies must be unused/unopened and not expired or close to expiration (within 2 months).
Textbooks, Testing Supplies, and Art Supplies
- See 'Art Supply Sharing Closet' and 'First Gen+ Center' lists above.
Small Appliances and Electronics
- Fragile items must be boxed separately. Bring e-waste to drop-off locations.
Small Furniture and Equipment
- Mirrors must be unbroken, and all furniture must be assembled.

Select donations that Patriot Packout partners need to support Mason Patriots are included above.

Fairfax Campus

Science and Technology Campus

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Website and Resource Links

Patriot Packout History

Early donation initiatives began in 2003, when Mason Facilities staff members collected clothing items and transported them to the Salvation Army to divert them away from move-out trash bins.

In 2007, the Office of Community Relations (now the Office of Community and Local Government Relations), began and officially named Patriot Packout (PPO) as a program to give students who were moving out of their residence halls an outlet to donate their unwanted clothes, appliances and unopened food items to local charities. Tasked with creating community engagement opportunities for the university, the Community Relations team researched programs at other universities and adapted the various move-out programs they found to fit George Mason University and the needs of the community. The Office of Community Relations collaborated with George Mason’s Facilities Management and University Sustainability teams gaining support and partners in PPO.

In 2010, the program won the Green Carpet Award from the Virginia Recycling Association in the category of Outstanding New Age Recycling Performance. Since 2010, PPO has diverted 123,208 pounds of reusable goods, electronics/appliances, non-perishable food supplies, and toiletries through not-for-profit donations!

Past donation partners included on-campus resources like Mason’s Patriot Pantry, the Trans Clothing Closet, and the Art Supply Sharing Closet. However, most PPO donations were typically distributed off-campus through partnerships with non-profit organizations like Food for Others, Goodwill, the Salvation Army, AmVets, and the Clock Tower Thrift Shop.

The PPO initiative was officially moved over to be led by University Sustainability in 2014. In 2023, University Sustainability launched the Patriot Packout Planning Committee to expand PPO’s impact on campus, with the goal of prioritizing the free redistribution of donated goods to the Mason community and those in need.

PPO Benefits:

Reduces the waste disposal of usable items and transfers them to folks in need.
Donates food and toiletry supplies to students through the Patriot Pantry and other Mason resources.
Provides a safe donation and disposal alternative for hazardous and universal waste items.
- Reduces improper dumping of broken appliances and furniture and pollution, protecting Housing and Residence Life and Facilities staff members.
Decreases waste hauling and disposal costs while reducing staff time spent on waste removal and monitoring.
Streamlines the move-out process by providing students and families with a resource to donate items.
Provides service-learning and civic engagement opportunities for all participants.

PPO CAMPUS DONATION PARTNERS

ACCEPTED DONATIONS

Gently Used, Like-New, or New Items: “If you wouldn’t give it to a friend, don’t give it to PPO.”

PPO 2025 DONATION LOCATIONS (Check Back for 2026 Updates!)

If you are commuting or traveling to the Fairfax Campus, we encourage folks to utilize Fairfax donation drop-off points as well.

PPO 2025 VOLUNTEERING

BECOME A FREE STORE VOLUNTEER!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Questions about PPO 2025? Reach out to us at [email protected]