Thousands of Virginians are dealing with economic hardship because of the pandemic. An impact felt especially hard around the holidays.
But there’s a growing movement to help by encouraging people to buy nothing.
It’s Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. it’s market time at Amenie Hopkins’ house. Neighbors like Barbara, Caitlin, Emily and Steve are showing up with things they no longer want.
“We went through some of our toys that we no longer use," says Barbara, "and then we have clothes that don’t fit us anymore and some shoes."
"We don’t need them,” her daughter adds.
Others, like Josi Clark – who was laid off for two months this year – are taking things they can definitely use and paying nothing.
“I got some clothes, and I got my two boys a bunch of stuff for Christmas.”
She and Amanda Clark were so excited by the Free Market experience that they’ve volunteered to help Hopkins collect and display merchandise.
“I enjoy watching kids come in and get stuff they want," Amanda explains. "Especially with people out of work, they can come here and get whatever they need and don’t have to worry about money or anything.”
“Look what I got!" shouts a little boy as he retrieves a book on his favorite topic -- boats.
Hopkins got the idea from a national network with more than 160 chapters in Virginia – a movement that urges Americans to buy nothing, give freely and share creatively.
“The Buy Nothing project is a gift economy, " she says. "It seeks to foster a culture of mutual aid in communities, and it really is about bringing communities together.”
Nine weeks ago, Hopkins announced the grand opening of her Really, Really Free Market on the Buy Nothing website.
“The first one was on my front porch, and I had two people donate and maybe four people stopped by to pick things up," Hopkins recalls. "The very next weekend it was too much for my front porch, and I realized I had to move to this shed in the back yard, and it has just grown every weekend.”
Donations are plentiful, filling the shed and Hopkins’ spare bedroom, while making donors like Catherine Roy happy.
“I brought lots of art supplies and school supplies," she says, handing over a large box. " My mother was an artist, and so she had a big bin just full of colored pencils. I feel good giving them here to know that someone is going to use it.”
“We get everything from clothes – a lot of clothes – to beautiful household items, dishes, linens. We’ve had people drop off brand new kids’ toys still in the packaging," Hopkins adds.
And the quirkiest donation to date?
“A whole bag of lingerie (laughs). That was a pretty fun one to open. ”
The market is also stocked with stuff Hopkins, a long time resident of Lexington, finds on the curb – things often left by students at Washington and Lee who are moving on and can’t fit everything into their cars.
“We did this all the time when I was in my teens and my twenties and totally broke. If you go by on trash night and kind of scan what people put out on the curb, you often find beautiful stuff – like brand new TVs that the students have left.”
There’s even a free lunch to be had at the market.
“People drop off donations of canned goods, dried beans, rice, things like that, and I make free soup, and people can bring their own containers, load up and just take it go home.”
The biggest challenge, she adds, is helping people to adjust.
“The first couple of markets people would go in and they’d tentatively say, ‘Can I take this? Sure! Do you need a bag?’ And they would ask, ‘Well what do I owe you? Nothing!’ And then they were like, ‘Well how can I support this?’ And I told them, ‘The next time you clean out your closet, bring the contents here.’ You know I would have thought people would immediately leap on the concept of ‘It’s free,’ bit it takes a little bit of coaching.”
Hopkins regrets the disruption her three-hour markets have caused to the neighborhood and is hoping the Buy Nothing movement will soon inspire someone to donate some space where she can continue hosting Really, Really Free Markets for as long as they’re needed.
