I have been using the Freecycle program for approximately three years now. In the beginning, I joined out of curiosity and the absurd desire to get awesome things for absolutely free. The program is free to participate in as far as money goes, but it is not without commitment. I hope to convey this notion of giving and taking by illustrating my own experience with the program.
I don’t remember how I first heard about Freecycle--probably on TV or in a magazine--but once I found out about it, I quickly searched it out. While you can find a Freecycle page on Facebook, to actually participate you have to go through Yahoo, specifically through the Yahoo Groups. The groups can be accessed at the bottom of the Yahoo homepage. This leads to a page where you can search the current groups (or create your own). Use the keywords “Freecycle” and your town or county with state. Large cities like New York usually have their own group, but where I live in Southern Indiana, it is split up by county; I am a member of ClarkCtyINFreecycle, for instance. Follow the directions on the page, respond to the initial message they send you by replying to the e-mail, and you’re in!
When someone joins the network, they are expected to post an initial offer of something they would like to give away. This could be an animal, clothes, food, toys, housewares, magazines, or anything they think someone else would enjoy or use. My first offering was unopened and unexpired instant baby cereal, items which were quickly responded to and in high demand, making it difficult to choose who to give to. The offering post should include your city, the name of the item, and a description, typically including any information such as an item’s condition. It’s okay if the shirts have stains, because someone out there may be looking for something to wear while puttering around the yard. A table with a scuffed surface may be just fine for someone who has no table or is starting their life over like so many seem to be, and can easily be remedied with a tablecloth. It’s all about disclosure.
Another thing to consider, if you are offering a number of things, give an idea of approximate size.
Several months ago I was excited to hear that I was chosen to pick up “books, toys, and holiday decorations,” items received from a fellow Freecycler that were more than this person could use. Since I love getting cheap or free books and decorations, I thought it was going to be an awesome experience. Normally this would mean a medium or large box, so I figured I would pick it up on my way back from getting my younger daughter from preschool. This was a “porch pick-up”, which means the giver would leave the items out on the porch and the receiver picks the item up and leaves quietly, which can be very convenient with busy schedules or hesitant people. Still, I messaged the person with a time when I thought I would come through, but impending rain threatened to ruin the items, so she messaged me and told me to pick them up ASAP. I looked up the directions to her house and was on my way, several hours ahead of what I had planned. Since I had no real plans that day, this was no big deal.
When I reached my destination, I was surprised to see the items were not waiting on the porch, but instead out by the road alongside the mailbox and some full trash cans. I was even more surprised to find that there was not the expected box or trash bag. What I found was a short wooden VHS shelf full of tapes, about five to eight cardboard boxes of books of all types, and a white kitchen bag of decorations, mostly fat Christmas light bulbs. The shelf alone placed long-wise took up my entire backseat, laid across my daughter’s booster seat. The books took up the rest of the room in my car and trunk. As I drove away, trying to find my way back home, I circled back and stopped to look at two large black trash bags, remembering the toys advertised. Opening them up, I saw they were a mix of more decorations and the toys. I ripped one bag open and crammed its contents in any space and jammed the other up front, barely able to maneuver the gear shift, exhausted from heavy lifting and anxious to get home. Had I waited until I picked up my daughter, I would have had both girls with me and would probably have needed a second trip.
When I lugged the items into the house to see the damage, my living room was full, and I dreaded what my husband would say when he saw what I had brought home with me. I would have left half of it or more if I wasn’t afraid of being reported for being a no-show. Two reports can result in expulsion from the group. Immediately I emptied one of the boxes on the couch and sorted the books into two piles: one for keeping, the other to put back into the system. This didn’t do a lot of good, since they were still in my living room. It was interesting to see almost everything had flea market price tags, where I presume they did not bring the prices marked on them. Of the books I wanted to get rid of, I separated them by genre and immediately posted them on Freecycle. I found a set and a half of Tae Bo VHS tapes, so they were their own set. the tapes went within a day or so, but the books were harder. The large number of religious books went quickly, but the rest resulted in no-shows, so I held onto them. I gave some books to someone at work who knew someone who would love them and a VHS or two for classroom use, and I gave some of the VHS tapes to family. This still left quite a stack. A lot of the books were children’s books, and I was reluctant to get rid of ones my kids might want to read. I gave a lot of the decorations to my mother. Months later, I am still whittling the stash, occasionally posting them in groups, being glad someone will find them useful and that they will no longer crowd my small home. As time goes by, I feel most of the books will be gone, but there are a pretty fair number that I found interesting or useful. This really wasn’t a typical experience. I feel like this person had received the stash unknowingly as I did, and she was simply overwhelmed and wanted to pass it on rather than throw it all out.
My other experiences have been nice and very manageable. Last year I received several lily plants that I simply took home and potted on my patio. Today I picked up a medium-sized box of toys for children, hoping to give them to my mother, who works as a babysitter and has a special stash of babysitting toys, and to donate much of the rest to my work, where we can always use some new things to keep the kids busy, which I disclosed when I messaged the lady to see if the items were available. The items included are very nice, very clean. There are several Easter plushies, which I plan to give my girls for Easter next year, as well as my cousin-in-law’s daughter. There is a lot of play food, which my younger daughter loves. There is a play child-sized chef’s jacket, which will be perfect for the preschool, as well as several other items. There are baby items that my cousin-in-law will probably enjoy. For now, the items are in a box i have started of items I want to give away as I get the opportunity, a box my family walks by regularly that they know they can add to. If I discover there is an item I would like to request, I know I will have something to offer before I ask, a requirement meant to be a way to maintain balance in the group.
The moral of this story is to not be greedy, to be flexible, and to give back. I only have so much space for items, so much time to enjoy each possession, but also so much of an opportunity to give back and share the bounty of a full life. You do too. I would encourage anyone who is in need as well as those who have room to give to try this program out and see what it gets you, and I bet a feeling of helping the community will be a healthy part of the bounty.
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