https://www.reddit.com/r/Knoxville/comments/1iha1kb/i_hate_karm/
created by wellhellopeople on 04/02/2025 at 04:58 UTC
41 upvotes, 11 top-level comments (showing 11)
Idk am thinking about this my boyfriend used to work at karm I think they are lowkey greedy, i understand they do things for the homeless and whatnot and imo it’s better to buy from them then Walmart but like the amount of waste they have is unbelievable if you actually understand it. Anything that is too sexy, some lingerie is okay but god forbid it’s a Halloweencostume. Nothing with wizards monsters or mystical creatures bc it’s in Christian, which can be a WIDE range. That means statues, shirts ect.. if any of it has noticeable stain or smell that is also supposed to be included but isn’t always for some reason?? And you know what they do with all of those things?? They have a fucking machine that completely destroys all of it so you can’t even dumpster dive…Can you imagine donating a fucking badass dragon statue bc u don have space anymore and want someone to love it and then they KILL IT!!!!!! MCKAYS DOES RHAT SHIT TOO !!!!!!! but more lenient on their “regulations” I understand having to throw things away because you have too much stuff… yet there is 2 ways you can deal with that without WASTING IT. GIVE IT TO THE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE OVERDOSING IN FRONT OF YOUR STORE. MAKE EVERYTHING CHEAPER NOTHING SHOULD BE MORE THAN FUCKING 10 DOLLARS AND THATS CONSIDERING INFLATION They for the most part let their workers wear what they want but I’ve learned that they are changing the shirts where you can only wear plain unless it has a “uplifting quote” which like I guess I understand dress code but like idk it just seems silly and vague, but I know the uplifting quote is a bible quote fr. And everytime I go n there I can’t handle the music…. It stinks n there even though they r supposed to regulate smell and always some weird ass people lurking idk why. And everything is SOOOOOO expensive automatically the price is sky rocketing if the shirt is somewhat a recognizable brand. And one of my biggest issues is that they claim to be a non profit organization… that literally can not be possible if they pay their high-school workers like 12 an hour. They are getting profit they are just wanting the tax benefits imo. Like rich companies should already be doing more to help the homeless anyways I feel like karm is just doing the minimum… Has me fucked up too because half of the people that aren’t looking for vintage things that go to karm is genuinely because they can’t afford it but SHEIN and Walmart is unironically so much cheaper and it’s a shame.
ALSO edit: the mythical creature thing and wizards on paper is throw it all away unless it’s Harry Potter.
Comment by AdriTrap at 04/02/2025 at 05:14 UTC*
27 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Every homeless person I've spoken with says KARM treats them like shit. KARM sucks and doesn't deserve your donations.
Edit to add: if you want to help organizations that actually help homeless people, there's a group of people that meet on Saturdays at 2:15ish at the south part of Charles Krutch Park. They come with homecooked food and occasionally have donations like clothes and non-perishable foods. They're super awesome and know a lot of great organizations.
Comment by holyjoestar at 04/02/2025 at 05:20 UTC
12 upvotes, 0 direct replies
lol yeah. KARM is able to get away with treating the homeless pop here like shit cos 1. many officials dont Actually care about the rising homelessness problem and 2. theyre one of the only orgs that “helps” the homeless, so no one regulates them. the amount of people ive met that would rather live in the woods than KARM is astounding. and everyone who hasnt dealt with homelessness sticks to them like glue cos again, one of the only orgs in knox. i genuinely wish more people understood how terrible KARM can be, cos theyre quite honestly a bit evil!!!!!
Comment by Paladin_Aranaos at 04/02/2025 at 05:22 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
KARM has a lot of bad issues going on with it. I donate to Bryson's Closet in Oak Ridge.
Comment by bigkeffy at 04/02/2025 at 08:01 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I dare you to find a non profit that isn't a sham. They exist but they are almost non existent
Comment by CommissionUnlucky525 at 04/02/2025 at 09:34 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I donate to AmVets or Habitat for Humanity. I think they are both reasonable.
Comment by Ghall0902 at 04/02/2025 at 06:25 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I’ve always hated it when I’ve complained about their crazy prices and people are like “but… but it’s for a GOOD cause!”
1. The prices I’ve seen on many items are inappropriate. $10 for a piling T-shirt with sweat stains? No thanks. Worn, stretched-out jeans for $12? Just why? No ones going to buy those. They’re way in over their head with pricing. If they want to really help their community, make it accessible again by having reasonable prices.
2. Come on, they get all this stuff for FREE.
3. Even with the oddball worn out items, they seem very selective about what they put on their sales floor. Even more so in recent years. I’d only imagine the waste that has created if they really do destroy the reject items.
I don’t like their vibe. Yes, they do things for the homeless, but if it really isn’t as much or meaningful as OP suggests like I’m inclined to think, their actions show more about them than what they say their mission is.
Comment by Willough at 04/02/2025 at 05:40 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
They’re high key greedy.
Comment by Grey_spruce at 04/02/2025 at 08:14 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Well darn. I just donated a bunch of clothes to them, too. Nothing "sexy", but i thought they were better than Goodwill.
Comment by Aldirick1022 at 04/02/2025 at 06:03 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
If you want to donate to the homeless, go to them. The KARM stores will take things meant to be a donation to the homeless and put it on the shelf. I went in to one of the stores once and found name brand socks and underwear on their shelf.
Comment by CommissionUnlucky525 at 04/02/2025 at 09:32 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I agree that if there prices were more reasonable, they would have less waste. That music also makes me want to stab my ears out.
Comment by SuperStalin64 at 04/02/2025 at 05:00 UTC
-10 upvotes, 0 direct replies
This is certainly a take.