The FreeStore will receive DONATIONS during regular open hours every Saturday – currently 10am to dark. Please bring your items in plastic bags for safe storage during their required quarantine period. Drop off is at the NW corner of the old school, small door. We receive far more items than are removed from the Freestore so we have redesigned our receiving space and distribution process to handle the volume. Our goal is to ensure EVERY donation is evaluated and considered for our shelves. Please note:
- for a REUSABLE item to make it to the shelf or rack it needs to be clean and working properly. Every item we receive that fits this criteria is put out for Denman to decide its fate
- REUSABLE items that are not removed from the store by shoppers over a period of time will be removed and donated to a Comox Valley charity so that the most useful items remain in circulation – REDUCING the need for people to buy new
- items that are unacceptable for further donation and are at their end of life are recycled. Thankfully there are wonderful programs for RECYCLING electronics, fabrics, metal, paper, etc and we are blessed to be in such close proximity to them
- items that are end of life and unable to be recycled are put in the trash. The most common trash for us are chipped ceramic mugs and plates, large plastic children’s toys that come broken or incomplete, purses with broken straps, single shoes, etc. You can help us significantly by simply disposing of these rejected items yourselves
- Monetary donations received will be spent adding shelves and improving our space. In the future they will be put to use developing our vision of the FreeStore and the role it shall play in our ever-changing community
- Experiment – We will be setting up a station at the exit door with bags of items that have failed to be taken from our store but are still useful. Before we organize large trucks to take loads off island especially for us and increase the carbon footprint our “stuff” makes, we ask local town goers to grab a bag or two and drop it at the diabetes bin in the superstore parking lot or other such gestures to deliver the items to local charities that will act responsibly with the donations
- Future plans may include special auctions for selected premium donations to ensure the whole community has a chance to act on really special things that come through
Join us with heartfelt gratitude and raise a mug or whatever else you have in hand to the plethora of volunteers present, past and future that have done or will do their part to develop this special place. Their commitment of time and desire to see the vision of the FreeStore carry on into the future is the only reason this is possible today. Thank you! If you would like to volunteer please reach out at difreestore@gmail.com. Please SHOP! Help move our items to their next homes.
