Are you looking for a box of Christmas balls? How about a pedestal sink? A large bag or women’s clothing or an interior door? If so, there are Facebook pages offering free stuff for the asking.
Do a search on Facebook using the word “free,” and multiple pages from across the area will pop up. See an item you would like? Just place an “I’m interested” in the comment section, and, if you are lucky, the giver will message you their address.
Kelly Zackrisson Rosengarten is an administrator with one group and a member of several groups or pages including Free Sh*t in Sylvania, Pass It On, Free Sh*t Sylvania Only, and Free Stuff Toledo.
“I believe the free groups started from the Buy Nothing Project,” Mrs. Rosengarten said in reference to a global effort that began more than a decade ago. “Each city has their own. However, Buy Nothing has strict rules that many people didn't agree with or didn't have time to monitor, as being an admin is a volunteer job.”
Mrs. Rosengarten said people have told her that they just needed a place to get rid of their stuff. Many don’t want the hassle of garage sales or finding a place to take donations.
“The free group is an easy way to give back to the community and purge your household,” she said. “I actually post on the free sites for other people who may be too busy to post their items themselves.”
Mrs. Rosengarten has been an administrator for Free Stuff: Sylvania, Ottawa Hills, Maumee, etc. for several years. The page currently has 9,500 members.
“I started three years ago as an administrator because the person who started the page needed help cleaning it up,” Mrs. Rosengarten said. “At the time there was a lot of posting ‘in search of stuff, jobs, rides to work, places to live, etc.’ Those posts would bump the posts of people giving stuff for free. We had to actually come up with rules because of the chaos. I became the mean mom.”
The page no longer accepts those types of posts or posts giving away free animals.
“It now is just a site with posts about people gifting things,” she said. “The last two years, the page has been fantastic.”
Yvonne Thomas-Patton started Free Stuff on the Bay a few years ago with a friend. The page currently has 1,200 members.
“People always need something, and if they can get what they need on the page, that keeps stuff out of landfills and it helps a neighbor out in the process,” Ms. Thomas said. “In general, I believe people in Oregon would like to have a greener community. Giving and getting free stuff keeps things out of the trash.”
She belongs to several other community pages, including the Buy Nothing Project that has community pages in West Toledo, Oregon, Maumee, Perrysburg, Genoa, Northwood, Holland, and Springfield.
“The Buy Nothing pages are community based,” she said. ”Items given for free are 100 percent useful. It all helps people out. I have seen people ask for a bicycle or even a vehicle so they can get back and forth to work. I personally have made people meals, brought people food. I have a garden and sometimes I have a lot of veggies and herbs that I also have given away.”
Ms. Thomas-Patton works with food pantries and, if there are overages, she posts those items as well.
“I have seen brand new furniture given away as well as washers, dryers, and dishwashers, even beautiful, fancy china that someone did not need,” she said. “Nothing is too weird to give away anymore. I gave a carpet shampooer at one point. Our society right now has people wanting the newest, latest, and greatest ‘thing’ out there. Getting a free Keurig, instapot, or Crock-Pot is awesome and keeps those items out of the landfills.”
Jill Heiserman and Jennie Jen run FREE STUFF Bedford Township, Mich.
“We were in other groups, but we decided to make our own group,” Mrs. Heiserman said. “We felt it would be a good way to get the community together.”
Members in the group are from Bedford Township, Erie, Luna Pier, Petersburg, Whiteford, and Ottawa Lake.
“The group is currently at 2,400 members and it grows daily,” Mrs. Jen said. “People have given away furniture, clothing, food, and baby toys. There have been wonderful contributions and even some plant swaps.”
The Bedford group has also helped families who have lost everything in a fire or those who had to leave domestic violence situations.
“People have explained on the page what the issue is and how they could use some help,” Mrs. Jen said. “People will always post back asking for sizes family members need for clothing, what household items they need, and if they need food. The community just jumps in and helps.”
Mrs. Heiserman said people post consistently throughout the year, offering items for free. They may also advertise garage sales they are having, but they are asked to turn off the comments. The Bedford page does not allow posts concerning pets.
“We have had people post asking for items for veterans centers and foreign legions,” Mrs. Jen said. “This page has helped to build a great community.”
Sarah Stacy and Andrea Hoffman started Free Sh*t in Sylvania in March of 2020. The group is for residents of Sylvania and Sylvania Township.
“We just decided to start the page one day on a whim,” Mrs. Hoffman said. ”The other page we were on just did not have a lot of members. We invited people to join and posted our first item on the page. We had 300 members in one day.”
So, what was that first item gifted?
“Our first post was a half case of Natural Light,” Mrs. Hoffman said with a laugh. “The page took off, partly because we do not take it too seriously. We are all grown people with a pretty good sense of humor. We also love to help people.”
The page currently has 2,800 members. Mrs. Stacy said she has seen many odd items get posted and snapped up, but she has also requested an odd give herself.
“I had a student who was unable to attend a robotics event at the STEM center,” Mrs. Hoffman, a Sylvan Elementary School counselor, explained. “I asked for an IV pole and got one. We fashioned a robot with an iPad for his face so he could video in during the event.”
Mrs. Hoffman said some odd items posted on the site have included a 1970s boat and a wrong DoorDash meal from Chipotle.
“We have also seen a lot of plant sharing, which has become very popular,” said Mrs. Stacy, a Highland Elementary School counselor. “We have had compost gifted, and I have shared cuttings and splits from plants as well.”
Mrs. Stacy said she is a self-professed “hoarder” so the page helps her get rid of items when she cleans a room.
“I feel bad if I throw stuff away,” Mrs. Stacy said. “It is not as bad giving it away if someone can use it.”
Mrs. Stacy said that the two women have had a disdain for having rules on the page, but they have had to come up with a few of them.
“One of the rules is people should not just be takers or ask for stuff,” Mrs. Stacy said. “It defeats the purpose of the page. Being a giver is great fun as well. We like to see a give and take vibe on the page.”
Both women said they have become minor celebrities in Sylvania, with people recognizing them from the page.
Members of the page, who call themselves “Sh*tters,” have also started their own free garage sale, in the back parking lot of Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter.
The Junk in the Trunk event is scheduled for July 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
“It is a swapping event, where people come with their cars and trucks with items in the back,” Mrs. Stacy explained. “People literally swap and give items during it. We have nothing to do with it, but many of our members put on the event. It is a fun time.”
Mrs. Rosengarten has posted a variety of items from furniture and ceiling fans to jewelry and bras.
“I've even posted spaghetti squash once,” she said. “But my favorite was a ham bone after Easter. My family had a bone with meat on it. I did not want to waste it so I posted it. Five people ended up wanting it.”
Some of the favorite items she has seen posted on pages include a smoker, a soft top for a Jeep, patio furniture, and concert tickets.
It is the odd posts that really do stand out though. She said she has been “super shocked” at what people just give away.
“I have seen personal lubricants, pregnancy and ovulation tests to condoms and sexy lingerie,” Mrs. Rosengarten said. “I posted an old Coleman flashlight that had tape on it to keep the battery compartment closed for someone. A woman messaged me about her son and his love for Coleman flashlights. He collected them. She wrapped it up for him as a present and she sent a photo of him with the flashlight. The little guy loved it. She said he was in tears because he collects them. This item meant nothing to me, really, but meant the world to him.”
Mrs. Rosengarten said sometimes, the stories are what help keep her and others involved with the pages and with continuous giving.
“There was a woman with cancer who lost a lot of weight,” she explained. “I posted a bag of clothes that she was able to get. She was so grateful. I have seen pages and people respond to requests for clothing items for children, for people who lost everything in a fire, and for Sylvania Area Family Services when they put out a request for clothing. As much as people like free stuff, many more just love to give. It keeps me motivated.”
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