Scrapping for Good: Local man scraps by the rules for charityby Dustin Grove (grove@wsbt.com)
Larry Shead collects scrap metal, sells it and gives the money to charity. His project is called "Donation Station." (WSBT photo) SOUTH BEND — Earlier this week we told you about a South Bend neighborhood plagued by scrappers who stole everything from air conditioning units to dog houses. Multimedia Illegal scrapping has become a big problem in our area. But not all scrappers are breaking the law. As the price of metal goes up, scrapping has become big business. But WSBT News learned not everyone is necessarily dumpster diving or stealing for their scrap. Meet one man who's playing by the rules and seeing a big payoff. Meet Larry Shead. For the last two years, his passion has been your junk. He's a scrapper who plays by the rules. “My first step is to go to the front door and ask,” he said. And asking has paid off. Last year, he got 65 tons and made thousands — all of it for charity, from children’s church mission trips to meals for the hungry. This kind of "scrapping for good" still has its barriers. “There's a trust issue,” he explained. “I'm trustworthy; but on the other hand, I'm in ‘the scrap business.’ So there are some issues that have to be overcome.” But he's overcome it with big-name help -- including old desks from Penn-Harris-Madison schools. He's also working with the area's largest supermarket chain. For the last year and a half, Martin's Supermarkets has donated more than 500 old unusable shopping carts and store shelves. For Larry, that's two dozen trailer loads of scrap. "When you hear messages about finding your passion, using your time, talent and treasures to better your community and better your world, and you see things like we see — people starving, people illiterate, the cycle of poverty just continuing in families — and your heart softens up to the message, eventually you find a way to contribute and this is the way I'm doing it." Larry's project is called ‘Donation Station.’ He says he's doing it for charity but also to save the environment. Last year, he saved about 65 tons from going to the landfill, and all from going to homes and businesses and just asking. He's even gotten some cars and trucks that were sitting in people’s yards. Most PopularMore Good Stuff |
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