Free Store Lives

Sounds like the City got cold feet, too.

Mr. Saunders,

If by "the City" you mean the community of New Haven, that discounts the investment of the many volunteers and regular shoppers at the Free Store in sustaining the store and spreading its impact and usefulness to New Haven. As a regular volunteer myself, I am disappointed that the store is currently in limbo since the momentum it had been building has diminished, and opening a new location will take time, effort, and dedication on the part of those who organize it. However, more people than just Ben Aubin (who still pours so much energy into this project) want something like a free store to persist.

Creating community and giving a space to nurture and share new ideas and the development of useful skills remains a powerful drive for many people in New Haven, not least of which are the people who -- whether unemployed or enrolled at Yale -- have committed themselves to the Free Store over the past several months. The value generated in the store has not only been that of clothes and books taken home, but the value of skills learned (more than just folding clothes, but positively and helpfully interacting with customers and coworkers) and a community of which to be a part.

Sustaining a project like the Free Store requires more than just the desire for community and clothing donations, though, of course, and if New Haven will see another Free Store space open the contribution of people with real business skill remains critical. Though the business end of the store may take time to develop, I hesitate to doubt the desire New Haven has to maintain something like the Free Store.

Todd,

I was talking about the City of New Haven, which WAS sponsoring the Free Store as part of their Project Storefronts program. Otherwise I would have used the term "the local community".

There is little distinguishing this from a slightly amped up salvation army store unless you count the hypocritical critique of capitalism. The free store only works if it freeloads the detritus of the system it hopes to critique. This is not true sustainability; it's smoke and mirrors. That is until the model is converted over to 501c3 nonprofit status.

It just goes to show, it's difficult to improve upon the simple and humble beginnings the "Free Box". There are few very successful ones about town, already. One of the great things about them is, how they cut-out middle management completely.

Didn't the sixth, black-balled, Communist Marx Brother once say:

From the discarders, according to their refuse
To the discarded, according to their carrying capacity.

Robn,

Smoke and mirrors might me a kind understatement.

Now we will see if an actual 'dentist' moves into the former 'Free Store' space. If we all remember, it was this new 'Dentist's Office' that prompted the 'Free Store' move to begin with, and prompted the City to 'Promise' them an additional three free months in another 'mystery location' on Court Street.

Sounds like another landlord might have gotten cold feet as well...