What do baby clothes, a ping-pong table, and a harness for cats have in common? They’ve all been posted to the “Buy Nothing Corvallis” Facebook group within the span of 24 hours.
Buy Nothing Corvallis is a platform for members to post free items they’re looking to get rid of, or to ask for something they need. With over 4,500 members who’ve made a collective 773 posts in the last month, the group is always busy gifting and receiving.
The Buy Nothing Project (BNP) describes themselves as a gift economy, not a charity. “We see no difference between want and need, waste and treasure,” the website states.
The BNP values community over everything. The goal is to create tight-knit communities who ‘ensure the health and vitality of each member.’ To achieve this, only local residents are allowed to participate in each community’s group.
The Corvallis chapter is one of 6,800 Buy Nothing communities world-wide. According to group administrator Molly Monroe, the local chapter has been around for 7 years, but has become significantly more active in the past few.
“For me, it started as a way to practice waste reduction, and quickly morphed into swapping baby stuff with other moms–which turned into a great way to save money,” said Monroe. “Between finding homes for things to keep them out of the landfill and building community by encouraging sharing and less consumption of new items, it’s been very rewarding to be a part of our local gift economy.”
You never really know what you’ll find when browsing the posts. Common listings are furniture, clothes, books, and moving boxes, but you’ll also occasionally see things like a trio of CO2 tanks or a vintage pachinko machine.
Although gift giving occurs year-round within the group, it can be especially important to the community this time of year. The holidays are coming up, and shopping for presents is not something everyone has the money for.
“This year I can’t afford a single present for my 5-year-old son,” posted a Buy Nothing member who wishes to stay anonymous. “I was curious if anyone had any toys they’d be willing to donate that could be reboxed or any unopened toys anyone has that I could [use] for presents for my son.”
The community was more than happy to provide.
Multiple Buy Nothing members made offers including a Toy Story coloring book, Nerf toys, stuffed animals, books, and more.
Monroe adds that there are a few different Facebook pages for Corvallis residents to give and receive free items. One group that is particularly active around the holidays is the Pay It Forward Christmas page, which is run by a couple in Lebanon. They recieve Christmas decoration donations from the community, and volunteer ‘elves’ make deliveries to families in need from Salem to Sweet Home.
“[I] just love all the sharing, especially this time of year,” said Monroe.
By Momoko Baker
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com