Donated clothes rot in Gary

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BY JOE CARLSON
jcarlson@nwitimes.com
219.662.5339 | Sunday, June 24, 2007 | (22 comment(s))

Few symbols of waste carry more impact than the sight and odor of thousands of piles of donated clothing moldering away in a shuttered industrial warehouse in Gary.

Strewn in piles eight feet high and rotting in drippy moisture, the clothes are stacked in boxes, bags and open piles across an area larger than a football field and inside a factory that once produced screws and bolts.

The infamous Gary Urban Enterprise Association played a central role in bringing the clothes from a donor in the Chicago suburbs to this wasteland in the Steel City.

Recently filed court records, internal GUEA documents and interviews with sources familiar with the situation reveal a chain of events that led a South Side Chicago church to store the donated clothing in Gary instead of sending the garments to the intended destinations in Third World countries.

Along the way, a Gary business managed to secure a lucrative contract for storage space for the clothing, even though the GUEA owned hundreds of unused buildings in Gary and an apartment building in Chicago.

"The rag storage served no legitimate purpose for GUEA and was clearly part of a common scheme to steal from GUEA," Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Bell wrote in court records this month.

The GUEA voted to dissolve itself in 2007, more than two years after The Times exposed questionable spending practices by executive director Jojuana Meeks.

Meeks and eight other people eventually were indicted by federal grand juries on charges of embezzling more than $1 million from the publicly supported not-for-profit organization following a wide-ranging investigation that uncovered numerous avenues of fraud. Meeks and three others pleaded guilty; five others are awaiting trial.

Although Meeks still claims innocence in at least some aspects of the case, even her former pastor, Bishop Reese Price Jr., has lost his faith in Meeks.

"For her to do what she did was uncalled for, unthinkable," Price said. "I had known her since she was a little kid. I trusted her wholeheartedly. ...I didn't have the slightest idea that she would pull a hood over my eyes."

Price is the founder and leader of Victory Apostolic Faith Church at 8053 May St. in Chicago, where Meeks once served as the "civil liaison and coordinator," according to the church's Web site.

Price also is a self-described "mission person." That's why he forged a decades-long relationship with Cleveland-based Cintas, Inc,, which donates clothing to Price through its suburban Chicago offices.

Loads of the "rags" have gone to Uganda and Liberia, and plans were in the works for India and the Dominican Republic to receive clothing as well.

When the church ran out of storage room in 2000, Meeks agreed to store the garments and had the clothing shipped to Volk Storage at 6801 Melton Rd. near Miller, according to Price and court records.

Between October 2000 and August 2002, the GUEA paid Volk $43,423 to store the clothing until the church could raise enough money to send the items to India and the Dominican Republic, GUEA records state.

Price said it would cost about $7,400 per load to ship the clothes.

At some point, the Volk deal ended, and GUEA shipped the huge collection of clothing to an abandoned factory it had purchased, the former Gary Screw and Bolt Co. at 901 Alabama. The clothing remains there today, subjected to years of rain, snow and moss that grows on the floor.

"When everything got out of hand, all out of whack...we just decided to leave it alone. Not even try to retrieve what was there," Price said. "I hope it's still there, and I hope one day I might be able to retrieve it."

Former GUEA director Jojuana Meeks was a ranking parishioner in a Chicago church, and court documents allege she used her sway with the GUEA to do favors for the church, like storing donated clothes that were intended for shipment to Third World countries. The clothes sit rotting today in an old warehouse.

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seeforyourself wrote on Apr 10, 2008 9:16 AM:

" for pictures of the clothes:
www.flickr.com/photos/roxysreal/2400972903/in/set-72157604457225710/

You can search flickr for loads of pictures of the clothes. It's an incredibly sad sight.
"

A concerned citizen wrote on Sep 27, 2007 7:16 PM:

" Why don't someone pick up were Price left off. As I see it, people in third world countries still need clothing, and they will wash them. Just stop the yapping and ship them out, they will be so thankful for anything, unlike many spoiled Americans. "

Golden Rule wrote on Jun 27, 2007 10:15 AM:

" Have we all forgotten Matthew 7:1-2 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged. What about Ephesians 4:32 And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as GOD for Christs sake hath forgiven you. BROTHERS & SISTERS its not the people we see its the spirits that dwell within. EP 6:12 , dont forget that everyone is still a child of GOD , Please just pray for the situation and everyone involved, THATS ALL we should be doing right now , PRAYING! "

Northern Jasper Co. wrote on Jun 26, 2007 5:27 PM:

" Doesn't surprise me at all. It's a shame. "

joker wrote on Jun 26, 2007 3:52 PM:

" Nobody involved in this circus charade has been put in jail... "

Move to Porter County....it's not bad.....yet. wrote on Jun 26, 2007 12:54 PM:

" Funny how this isn't surprising in the least. So now we have Lake County still trying to figure out how high they can tax homeowners, East Chicago politics completely corrupt, Merrillville schools on the verge of bankruptcy and yet another story of deception and waste in Gary (look at Gary's schools performance and said teachers salaries...geesh.) If you care about the well being of your children's education, the treatment of your property by local government, and the overall well being of your family...I invite you to Porter County. Sure there's a meth problem, but I'd rather have a problem I can see the signs to rather than civic organization president's, county commissioners, and schools that could care less about my family or tax dollars. Take a hint from Indianapolis...they don't even trust Lake County..hint...hint...reassessment. "

Disgusted taxpayer wrote on Jun 26, 2007 10:13 AM:

" Is it true that Ms. Meeks is still not in jail ? She has already pleaded guilty to 13 federal crimes. What is taking so long to lock her up for stealing/wasting so much tax money ? "

I quit giving years ago! wrote on Jun 26, 2007 9:31 AM:

" I quit giving to charities many years ago when I found out that over half my money was going towards "administrative fees". I even quit giving to the homeless people on the street. Back in the cold winter a woman was begging for money, sitting outside a Burger King. I went in and bought her a coffee and food. She threw the food and coffee and said she wanted the money instead. Figured it was either for drugs or booze. Part of Ms. Meeks restituion should be cleaning the warehouse mess she created. How sad is it that many people even in Gary are begging for clothing and food. "

Mrs D wrote on Jun 26, 2007 7:17 AM:

" Bishop Price is a good man and Im sure that he didnt know the depth of what was going on he is a Saved,, Water Baptised in Jesus Name, Holy Ghost filled, speaking in tonque, MAN he is the MIRACLE MAN that GOD himself Healed from Colon Cancer, no matter what you and you and you think He is a Good and Honest Man. "

GOD KNOWS wrote on Jun 26, 2007 1:28 AM:

" Stop trying to put Bishop Price on Ms Meeks level. If you knew his background, you would know he is a true man of God. Bishop Price is founder of Victory Apostolic Faith Church, not the founder of GUEA. Try GOD People. "

Pastors turns back on parishoner wrote on Jun 25, 2007 2:11 PM:

" what a shame for a reverend to be involved in the growing GUEA scheme. What's even more interesting is that now the chicago church will be audited by the federal government. I'm sure the pastor had no idea what he was getting himself into when he agreed to give comments to the media. It sounds like the pastor price has turned his back on a once faithful member. It's it funny that the hood was not being pulled over his eyes when GUEA relieved him from the building debit in Chicago "

Steve Wardrip wrote on Jun 25, 2007 1:48 PM:

" Charity is centered in morality. Thieves have no morals or conscience. Let a large group of good people handle these affairs, not a small group of bad people. They are ruining it for everyone. Let the majority of good people rule. "

veryGarywary wrote on Jun 24, 2007 8:48 PM:

" It was stated that these rags were "sold" to USX to be used in cleaning up spills and for general shop use. Guess the Times did not find that figure out. How much money did Price receive from USX?? "

Joker wrote on Jun 24, 2007 8:21 PM:

" ''Donated clothes rot in Gary'' huh? ....We've been reading about the escapades of these GUEA theives for quite some time now....The big question is, when are we going to see THEM,... ROT in prison. "

G Davis wrote on Jun 24, 2007 3:53 PM:

" just burn it ,these items have been rotting in a warehouse for years, and the exposier to the elements as well as mildew and insects,who would wear this junk? and to ship it for$7000 a load? another mess created by the scammers at the GUEA,I can assure you the scammers at the GUEA wern't wearing this junk, they were shopping on Michigan Ave off of the taxpayers back, and not even in jail yet? still prancing around having their bills paid for still by the GUEA! only in beautiful Lake County people! "

how crooked wrote on Jun 24, 2007 1:04 PM:

" It is situations such as this that help me make the choice to NOT donate to any charities. I instead choose to help individuals face to face. These orginizations are full of corruption, and the example that they follow is the government. "

VRW wrote on Jun 24, 2007 1:00 PM:

" That must be some South Side church to be able to afford that much in storage and then shipping. Money (and cloths) would have been better spent for the poor here in the USA or at least the money given to a relief organization. I have to wonder if there was not kick backs to someone in the church as well. Something just isn't right!!!!! "

Smarty Pants wrote on Jun 24, 2007 12:44 PM:

" Nobody cares people. Did you forget this is America If there is no profit to be made it goes on the bottom of the to do list. Second why send the cloths to a far off country when there are thousands of families here in NWI who need the help. "

U.S.A. First wrote on Jun 24, 2007 11:59 AM:

" How many of you are tired of programs designed to help people in distant lands;instead of, taking care of our own people? The U.S. is losing ground with its own people. We have too much homelessness, hunger and poverty. We need to look at ourselves, and our fellow country men and women. Make America strong...then see if someone else needs help. "

sick and tired of being tired wrote on Jun 24, 2007 11:09 AM:

" Comon, Rev.Price...why would you hope to retrieve garbage? for what purpose?.. to send it to another country?... Is that the christian thing to do? I believe that Mrs. Meeks had a lot of outside support and encouragements to do the things that she has been accused of doing... Based on this news article it sounds like more people were involved.... What do you think? "

Are you surprised? wrote on Jun 24, 2007 11:09 AM:

" After reading this. I will NEVER DONATE or GIVE ANOTHER DONATION AGAIN!! To ANYONE. NEVER!!! These people are SICK. "

What A Waste wrote on Jun 24, 2007 7:02 AM:

" What a waste of money and no one cares...Storage fees could have paid the shipping of these clothes...Gary and who ever is involved should stand trial. They just stole from the good citizens that are left in Gary...This gives little meaning to the word Reverend these days....The federal gov. needs to come in and look at the city of Gary and really look at its books. "

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