Giveaway event aims to help build community

BROOKINGS — Imagine a yard sale stretching across an entire city, where no one haggles and no one pays. That’s the idea behind Brookings’ first annual FREE Share & Care Day, a community experiment in giving things away instead of throwing them out or selling them.

The event is set for Sat., April 25, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

According to Trish Matson Buus, event organizer, a citywide free rummage sale is not a new idea, but it’s one she thinks will be successful in Brookings.

“I’ve done it a couple times myself, just my own free rummage sale,” she said. “If that’s a model that has worked for me, then it’s got to work for other people. It’s no mystery that we all have too much stuff in this age of consumerism, but there’s still a gap, and other people need things.”

Here’s how it works: Brookings residents interested in hosting a “share spot” at their home can register via the Brookings FREE Share and Care Day Facebook page. A map of all share spots will be available by QR code, and local residents can visit the sites between 8 a.m. and noon on April 25.

Matson Buus said she’d like to see the event happen annually in Brookings as a tie-in to Earth Day on April 22. “Connecting it to Earth Day would be a good way to remember it every year. Brookings does a lot of things really well and often proves the effectiveness of the concept for other communities who look to us,” she said.

Although decluttering is part of the appeal for those who host share spots, a major benefit is community outreach, according to Matson Buus.

“My hope is that there is some interaction and social benefits. We are now more isolated than we were a decade ago, partly due to Covid and just the way that the world is moving. We’re all so busy. I’d like to see some social benefit and sharing,” she said.

For example, share spot hosts might offer free items like crafts or plants they have propagated, in addition to typical rummage sale items. “It’s just another option besides having a traditional rummage sale or donating to a thrift shop. And this allows for more communication with neighbors,” Matson Buus said.

The emphasis on sharing and community is important to Matson Buus, so the event is open to everyone. “We don’t want to single people out or label people who are considered needy. Maybe you’re a college student getting ready to move into the dorms. Maybe you just love the thrill of the hunt, or you go to rummage sales out of habit.”

Share spot hosts aren’t required to have a garage or driveway full of items neatly displayed, although they can do so if they wish, Matson Buus explained.

“Maybe you just have a blanket or tarp worth of stuff,” she said. “We just want to normalize sharing our things with our neighbors and the community for free.”

As part of her research and planning, Matson Buus attended a recent city council meeting to share information about the event. She said the discussion highlighted some potential challenges, including post-event cleanup. “We don’t want a messy curbside spring cleanup situation,” she said. “The expectations are very clear for the share spot hosts. They have to agree to clean up their leftovers.”

Discussion also focused on whether the event would be more beneficial if it occurred before the City of Brookings’ Spring Cleaning program. Matson Buus said it’s logical to keep the two events separate since the April 25 Share and Care Day includes useable items and items of all sizes, while the Bulky Item Pickup program is for large unwanted items that do not fit into residents’ garbage, recycling or yard waste bins. “It’s something to think about, but I don’t want this to look the same as curbside pickup. We need a differentiation between usable items and what is bound for the dump,” she said.

Although Matson Buus is confident about free items going to those who truly need or want them for personal use, she acknowledges that some might take advantage of the event, taking free items and reselling them.

“It’s a possibility. There’s no way to control that. But my heart has to think that if I go into it with good intentions, then karma will follow,” she said.

Since the council meeting, Matson Buus has heard from many people who are interested in sharing items, but they are unavailable on April 25.

She is open to ideas for accommodating those requests. “So far, I do not have any partnerships with a church or nonprofit organizations to host a drop-off event, so we are limited to the individual mini-rummages that people can host at their residence,” she said.

“Clearly, though, there is a need and opportunity here.”