A Waco charity has corrected a state licensing oversight, allowing it to once again distribute items it receives from the regional Wal-Mart return center to other local nonprofit organizations.

Last month, Caritas had to dispose of 43 pallets of nonfood items donated by Wal-Mart because of problems found during a state inspection. The main issue was that inspectors saw products that were damaged or which had missing or illegible labels. That can be a safety issue, especially for items such as medications, they said, and ordered that such items be thrown away.

But the inspection also revealed Caritas did not have all of the licenses it needed to receive and redistribute the goods. The state requires organizations to have salvage licenses for over-the-counter drugs, food, medical devices and cosmetics, which includes hygiene products. Caritas had only a food license.

That was a problem because Caritas receives a wide variety of other items from Wal-Mart, ranging from toothpaste and toilet paper to dishes and bedding. The items are things that have been returned to Wal-Mart stores across the state and refused for return by the manufacturer. Usually it’s because the manufacturer determines that writing the items off as a charitable donation is more cost-effective than reclaiming them, executive director Buddy Edwards said.

The inspection findings took Caritas by surprise, Edwards said. The agency was not aware that it needed the additional salvage licenses, he said, adding that it has received items from Wal-Mart since 2004.

Caritas acted as quickly as it could to fix the situation, Edwards said. First, it asked Wal-Mart to temporarily stop sending nonfood items. It then applied for the additional licenses.

Last week, those licenses were granted, Edwards said, allowing Caritas to receive items again. To eliminate the problems related to packaging, Caritas is working more closely with Wal-Mart to make sure that all items it receives are in allowable condition, he said.

“We value very strongly the importance of being in compliance,” Edwards said. “I think we’re good to go for the future.”

Caritas distributes the items it gets from Wal-Mart to nearly 200 Central Texas nonprofit organizations, Edwards said. They include social service agencies, churches and other charities, he said.

Twice-monthly pickings

The groups are allowed to come twice each month to pick out items, Edwards said. The goods are free, except for a 15-cent per-pound fee that Caritas charges to cover overhead costs associated with the program, Edwards said. Last year, not including December, Caritas distributed about 2.9 million pounds of merchandise, he said.

“It’s a remarkable savings,” he said.

Brian Dodd, executive director of Potter’s Vessel Ministries, which assists people with accessing prescription medications and other medical services, said he is relieved Caritas has resolved the problems. Potter’s Vessel gets a lot of over-the-counter medications from Caritas, and the drugs are a godsend to many clients, he said. That’s especially true for those who are homeless, he said, particularly if they have medical conditions that cause persistent pain.

“Aleve or something like that is like gold to them,” Dodd said.

Stocking church pantry

The program also has helped Lake Shore Baptist Church’s pantry, said Annette Brister, who volunteers there. It gets items such as toilet paper, paper towels, lotion and shampoo to give to people who are having trouble making ends meet. The pantry used to serve about 25 to 30 people per week, she said. But in recent months, that number has nearly doubled, she said.

“It has been an immense help to us,” Brister said of the items from Caritas. “We do miss it when we don’t get it.”

Allison Lowery, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the state is satisfied with how the situation has been resolved. Not only does Caritas now have the needed licenses, but the state has reviewed staff-training procedures with the charity to make sure workers can distinguish allowable donations from those that are problematic, she said.

Damaged item danger

Lowery emphasized that the state’s concern stemmed from the fact that Caritas had been receiving damaged items that could pose a danger if people could not read the labels. The licensing situation was not the main problem or the reason the pallets of goods had to be thrown away, she said. The bulk of the items that were discarded were over-the-counter drugs that had suffered flood damage and thus had illegible labels, she said.

“They’ve met all of our requirements, and we’re confident they can safely handle these items,” Lowery said.

cculp@wacotrib.com

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