The price is always right at this 蜜柚直播 store.
The idea for a store where everything is donated and everything is free started with a phone call from 蜜柚直播 businessman Aaron Polley to his friend Deborah 鈥淒ebbie鈥 Mitchell.
Mitchell loved the idea from the beginning and signed on immediately.
She called Deron Beal, the brains behind , a place where people can connect online to offer items they no longer want for free, thus keeping them out of landfills.
Two days later Beal, Polley, of the local electronics recycling company Suburban Miners, and Mitchell, a volunteer at several local organizations, met and the Free Store was born.
On May 1, a month after that first meeting, the store opened to customers.
The first big donation 鈥 a 24-foot truck full of items 鈥 came from a woman who does estate sales.
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The merchandise didn鈥檛 last long.
蜜柚直播 of the store is spreading by word of mouth, through nonprofit organizations and churches.
The Free Store鈥檚 policy is simple: If you need it or can do something with it that doesn鈥檛 involve putting it in the trash, take it. No charge. If you have something you don鈥檛 need but someone else might be able to use, leave it. Donating something is not required to take something.
There is a limit of five items per 鈥渟hopper鈥 so that everyone has an opportunity to benefit, but there are exceptions. Just ask.
The exceptions have included a refugee family and some veterans in transition who recently were able to make use of furniture that wouldn鈥檛 even fit in the store鈥檚 small space. Beds, sofas, end tables and entertainment units helped these people who were able to move into housing but had nothing in the way of furniture.
While Mitchell and Polley didn鈥檛 want the store to grow too quickly because they weren鈥檛 ready for a huge influx of merchandise, they are already looking for a larger space. The current space is on the grounds of Suburban Miners, north of East Glenn Street off North Alvernon Way.
Polley has long been looking to turn one man鈥檚 trash to another鈥檚 treasure. Years ago, he had a thrift store called Yes Thrift. It didn鈥檛 work out, but now his goal is to have a full-scale thrift store where everything is free.
鈥淭here鈥檚 such an abundance of stuff, and there鈥檚 people who can use it, and we keep it out of the landfill,鈥 Deborah Mitchell says.
The friendly team of volunteers includes Polley, who Mitchell says is the brains behind the idea; Mitchell, who Polley says brings the magic that makes it work; Tim Backus, the muscle, without whom trucks of donations might never get unloaded; and Claudia, another regular volunteer. The entire operation is run by volunteers; no one makes money on this. Other volunteers offer their help from time to time.
Mitchell, who manages the store, says items have come in that she can鈥檛 identify. She鈥檒l wonder if anyone will want them, but days later, someone will say, 鈥淚鈥檝e been looking all over for one of these.鈥
Some items found at the Free Store include: a Foreman grill, keyboards and computer mice, pots and pans, dishes, glassware, blankets, tablecloths, books, games, artwork and clothing. Polley says they test as many electric items as possible as they come in to make sure they work, but jokes they have a free return policy.
The store is open for shoppers Wednesday mornings and the first Saturday morning of each month. They鈥檒l accept donated items weekdays during business hours.
Mitchell says that since stuff keeps coming in, the store may have to add another Saturday each month to keep things moving.
鈥淭here鈥檚 such an abundance of stuff, and there鈥檚 people who can use it,鈥 As Mitchell says, 鈥渁nd we keep it out of the landfill.鈥
Clothes and many household items are available at the Free Store, 3820 E. Blacklidge Drive. The store is open on Wednesday mornings and on the first Saturday of each month.
