All About Freecycling: www.freecycle.org

Have you ever looked around your house and found items that you no longer needed? Perhaps you were in the kitchen yesterday making cookies and realized that you needed additional cookie cutters. College bound teenagers often need to supply their dorms with items that they do not have and can not afford. There is a solution for all of this! Joing the website www.freecycle.org and list your offers, needs and wants for your community to see.

Freecycle is a website that the entire community can enjoy and benefit from. You simply visit the main home page and choose your location. Join the group that is closest to you. There is no cost to join and the only stipulation is that everything must be free. You can not sell anything on the site and nobody can charge you for anything in return. Items are listed in a offer or wanted format and then you simply respond to the poster with what you have or would like. Just because you respond to an offer does not guarantee that you will receive the items. The poster has the final say as to who receives their items and will email or call to arrange a pick up time. For example, just last week we decided that we were done using our baby's swing. I listed it on the site as "OFFER: Baby Swing" and waited for the responses to come in. After the responses came in, I chose a recipient and set up a time for them to pick up the swing. I was emailed by a young, single mother that could not afford a baby swing for her infant son. I felt that she could really use the swing. She came and got the swing and the deal was done. No money exchanged and nothing required in exchange for my swing. Just a simple act of kindness for someone that can use what I no longer can. If you say you are coming to get the items, you should keep your end of the deal. Do not tell someone you will come and get something and not show up.

Some groups allow animal posts and some do not. Of course, you can not list your spouse or children, and everything you post as a want, need or offer must be completely legal. Nothing can be posted that involves sexual content, drugs or alcohol. You should be realistic in your want and need posts when asking for items. Most likely, nobody has a diamond engagement ring or a new truck sitting around that they no longer need or want. However, you will sometimes be surprised at what people have to offer and respond to want ads with. We have been fortunate to receive many needed and wanted items. I also have cleaned out closets and spaces and found items that I no longer need. It is a blessing to be able to give these uneeded items to others in our community! It is also a blessing to find a gently used item that we have needed.