I used to have a lot of stuff piled up in my closets. Same thing for my basement. I had clothes that didn’t fit. Shoes I no longer wore. Sheets, towels, even blankets, I no longer used. And in the basement there were all kinds of oddities I’d forgotten I even had. And then I started volunteering at our local free store. And that changed everything.

Our free store is super organized. Clothing in good condition gets put on a hanger and then placed on a rack of similarly sized items of that type. Stinky, stained, or ripped clothing goes to Doug. Doug is a euphemism for the dumpster. Our store allows people to shop twice a month and get up to twenty items each visit. Shoppers have to give their name at the front desk and the staffer locates their card that indicates when they shopped last.

Some shoppers come from the correctional center in town. Some come from the nearby shelter. Recently a man said he lived in a tent, but said he was not homeless. Another man started to cry when he said his family was living in their car. A lot of shoppers look pretty average, meaning if I saw them somewhere else, I’d never guess they relied on a free store to get by.

When I volunteer, I usually process donations that come in the door that day. It’s amazing what people donate. A man donated his recently deceased wife’s clothing which included very fancy leather handbags and like-new clothing. This time of year, people donate brand new items they have purchased just for us, from super-discounted shelves and racks at department stores. And sometimes, it is the opposite, with people donating things that look ready for the junk pile. Those things go to Doug.

The inside of our free store looks like a small department store. In the women’s section there is a rack for pants, one of blouses, one for coats. There are sections for shoes, lingerie, hats, and purses. Almost everything is separated by size. Same for the men’s room and the children’s room. We also have a small space for pots and pans and dishes, plus a front shelf for seasonal decorations and knick-knacks. We have sheets and towels and blankets. Out of season items are bagged and placed in our storage area.

Before I volunteered, I had never stepped into a free store. I thought someone that needed free items would take anything, even if it was stained or torn. But that isn’t the case. Everyone deserves dignity. And it isn’t my business to question why people take what they do. Some people might take items to resell, like those fancy leather purses that got donated. Some people might be hoarders, I mean if a person took 20 pieces of clothing for themselves twice a month, that’s a lot of clothing. But maybe a person can’t afford to wash their clothing, so they just throw it away after it gets old. A volunteer told me that one of the theories is that everybody wants to feel rich, if even for a few moments. Having a bounty of clothing can do that. And some people pick out items to give to others, which can also do that. And some people bring in a few items to donate and then shop for themselves, which I think is pretty special.

Since volunteering at our local free store, I’ve donated a lot of my non-essential items that my husband and I no longer need. My friends and family give me things to take when I volunteer. And sometimes those things stay on the shelf less than an hour. Like the coffee maker my sister-in-law donated. Think about it. What do you have that you don’t need? Somebody wants those things, somebody needs them. We’re all in this together, aren’t we?

7 Comments

  1. Ethel Stears February 4, 2025 at 4:34 pm - Reply

    Thank you Sharon for beautiful words about a beautiful part of our community.

  2. Waneta Truckey February 4, 2025 at 5:10 pm - Reply

    Your blog is an excellent resource for anyone interested in helping others. I can relate to all of your observations and comments. We are all in this together and It takes a village “ Thank you

  3. Sara Blank February 5, 2025 at 7:34 am - Reply

    Great Job on the observation Sharon.

  4. Sally Boeschenstein February 5, 2025 at 9:25 am - Reply

    Well done, Sharon. I love our free store, and I loved my church’s rummage sale in years past where we did the same things but charged small fees (like 25 cents) for items. These are ways we share with our fellow human beings…and my own closet stayed much less crowded!

  5. Christine February 5, 2025 at 11:47 am - Reply

    Good for you for volunteering. A good resource in troubled times.

  6. Val Juergens February 5, 2025 at 2:40 pm - Reply

    Thank you for sharing your inspiring thoughts!

  7. Susan m dean February 5, 2025 at 2:58 pm - Reply

    Great story Sharon.🌝

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