President of Move In, Move Out (also known as MIMO) Kevin Ye said in the summer of 2013 he was approached by a student at Northwestern University in Illinois looking to expand the organization to schools in Michigan.
Ye said he loved the idea, and in the fall he presented MIMO at the Undergraduate Pitch Competition.
It was then accepted and put to action. Ye graduated in 2013 with a degree in supply chain management.
Ye said he started by creating a team to help launch MIMO in the spring, making MSU the second school, aside from Northwestern, to participate.
MIMO held its first collection in May. The first collection day of the summer is set for July 19.
With help from volunteers, MIMO will collect items through July and August and store them until fall when they are sold to students who might not be able to afford the item at retail prices.
Social media manager for MIMO and journalism sophomore Lauren Shields said donating to MIMO is very simple and students do not have to pay to have items picked up.
“For those moving out, it’s a huge weight off their shoulders,” Shields said. “For kids moving in, it’s less expensive.”
MIMO is a nonprofit and money raised from specific items goes toward the charity of the donor’s choosing.
Some charities which MIMO donates to include the American Cancer Society, Salvation Army and Capital Area Humane Society.
Despite MIMO just starting off at MSU, Ye said it has been received well.
“We get a lot of positive feedback from students we collect from,” Ye said.
