The Goodwill in Downtown Brooklyn is warning residents that their donations may be getting trashed.

Katy Gaul-Stigge, president and CEO of Goodwill New York New Jersey, says if residents leave their donations outside the store, there is a good chance they will be ruined or stolen.

"We do have a problem, and we really need your help, and we need folks not to leave their donations outside," she says. "Unfortunately, if a donation is left outside, especially overnight or has been kind of ripped through, it has to go into either the trash or some further recycling."

Gaul-Stigge says it's been going on for several years, ad that sometimes the people who rip into the donations even try to sell them to people in front of the store, ruining donations that never make it onto the racks.

Goodwill says it's seeing a 40% increase in donations and is attributing it to the pandemic.

The CEO says she wants to make sure every piece of clothing is used to help someone.

While the Brooklyn store is looking at other solutions, such as adding a collection bin outside, it says the best option always is to bring donations directly to the counter.