Our free store is looking great today, thanks to contributions from a community of people who share extra food, clothes, and whatever else they have available.
For those who don’t know, a free store is a place where everything is available for free. If you have extra things, you can bring them to the free store to share. If you need any of the things there, you can take them. No money or trading is allowed, a free store runs on mutual aid.
Our free store is on our porch, and it works amazingly well because of the community which participates in it. Plenty of people take time to bring donations, because they know their contribution will go directly in the hands of someone who can use it. The free store helps a lot of our poorer neighbors get access to healthy food, which they can share in turn with their friends and family.
Most weeks we circulates between 1/2 and 1 ton of fresh food, provided by donors and volunteers who pick up and transport it. We also see plenty of clothes, books, and other miscellany filter through, brought by neighbors who are moving or getting rid of old stuff.
If you like this idea, you can help out in a few ways:
- Start a free store where you are! If you have access to a publicly accessible room or building, let us know and we can help.
- Volunteer to pick up food donations for our free store. This is a big help. Get in touch and we can let you know when and where pick-ups are scheduled.
- Spread the word and encourage everyone to contribute!
