Do you have something that you’ve wanted for a long time, but never got the chance or money to buy it? Do you have something that you once loved but are ready to let go of now?
OPRIG’s annual Free Market Giveaway will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 9am-5pm on the lawns of Sadleir House (751 George St. North), where you can donate and take home clothing, books, music, and small household items.
In addition, Food Not Bombs will also be catering a free vegan/vegetarian lunch, and free ice cream cones will be served afterwards.
The Free Market Giveaway is a great event that provides university students and community members to mingle, ‘shop’ through mountains of goods, and organize their wardrobes and houses, all free of charge. Donations are accepted until Thursday, April 16 in all four colleges and Bata Library at Trent University, as well as at Sadleir House (please be mindful that furniture and large items will not be accepted for donation). Your unwanted items may become someone else’s treasure!
The backbone of the Giveaway event is OPIRG’s Free Market, which started at Trent in 2005 to promote the values of reusing, recycling, and ‘re-consuming’. By providing free goods to those in need, The Free Market not only diminishes the stigma against reusing other people’s items, but also promotes environmental thinking, reducing waste, and excessive consumption. This is not a barter or trading system; anyone can donate, and take items without donating. The Free Market is simply a space where items that are no longer needed by one person can be redistributed to anyone else who may need or want that item. Think of it as a thrift shop, but for free.
Located in the basement of Sadleir House, the Free Market has been extremely successful, exemplified by the abundance of donations. The Free Market, along with the Food Cupboard, is open several days a week, thanks to the dedication of OPIRG volunteers.
There are also permanent donation bins outside the Bata Library where anyone can drop off extra clothing, books, or non-perishable goods to redistribute to others who need them. If you are in need of something, the Free Market and Food Cupboard will be there for you during hours of operation as follows:
• Wednesday: 3-5pm
• Thursday: 1-5pm
• Friday: 1-5pm
The Free Market also welcomes any volunteers who could put in two hours a week to keep the market going and help university students and community members bring down cost of living.
If you would like to help out with this project, or even just on the day of the Giveaway, please contact OPIRG at 741-1208 or email opirg@trentu.ca.