The Buy Nothing Project

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

There are many ways for members of a community to support other people who live in their area. One way is to purchase fresh food, clothing and goods and donate to local organizations that handle collections of items and distribute them to people in the community who need them. Another way is to gather food, clothing and other items that you already have in storage or at home, and give them to local thrift stores, churches and groups that can either give them away or sell them at a discounted or affordable rate.
Perhaps the most simple and easy way of helping out in your community, however, can be found on an even smaller scale, and it all begins with an individual desire to participate in selfless local activities that focus on giving directly to the needs of other locals on an “as needed” basis. A lot of times, this begins with a personal mindset of wanting to selflessly assist and give back to complete strangers in ways that do not directly benefit you. When you open up your mind to truly serving others, you may discover there is a whole plethora of like-minded people just waiting to welcome you, and a series of community-driven programs that are not only free to participate in, but are easy to join.
What many people do not know is that the Monticello and Jefferson County areas are part of a global gift economy network that is benefitting communities all around the world. The Buy Nothing Project is a community-building social movement that is dedicated to offering people a way to give, receive, share, lend and express gratitude individually through outreach in countless communities all around the world. This group was founded in 2013 with the mission of building a sense of community by connecting people through hyperlocal gifting.
According to their website, buynothingproject.org, this organization fuels the belief that communities are more resilient, sustainable, equitable and joyful when they have functional gift economies. They believe that a community's true wealth and strength lies in the web of connections that are formed between people.
Buy Nothing groups focus on abundance, not scarcity, and encourage participants in local branches to ask, give, share and lend openly, with the mentality of a gift economy rather than a charity. They recognize no difference between want and need, waste and treasure. Members of these groups do not sell, buy, trade, barter or exchange money for items or services that are offered or requested in the communities that participate. Any items or services requested or offered in the Buy Nothing Program are given freely and willingly, and are accepted without pretense or obligation.
Small towns are some of the wealthiest places on earth, but not for monetary reasons. What makes a small town rich is the bonds that exist between the people who live there. If small communities can focus on supporting one another openly, and giving away those things they no longer need or want to people nearby who might need or want them, imagine how strong and resilient we can be. When trust and honesty run rampant in our streets, and selflessness and helpfulness go hand in hand, who then could stop us? When we include every single member of the community that we call home into a network of generosity and giving, what is it that we cannot do?
Anyone wishing to participate in our local branch of The Buy Nothing Project can join the Facebook group, Buy Nothing Project (Monticello/Jefferson County). Once new members agree to the rules of the group and are approved, they may begin making and responding to posts from within the community. Items that are available to interested parties vary, and often include furniture, electronics, firewood, clothing, books and more. Alternatively, if someone is looking for something specific, they can submit a post requesting it, and other members may respond with offers. The same process is used for services.
This is not an advertisement group, or a way to fuel vulture mentality. Anyone who is found to be selling things they get from this group will be banned from the group indefinitely. This is intended for community members to give and receive things they need personally, not to be used as a way for individuals to make cheap profit off of the selflessness of others. As admin Tammy Brookins stated in a recent post, “There are plenty of platforms for selling and buying. That's not what “The Buy Nothing Project” is about.”
“I often find myself holding onto things I don't need,” says a Monticello resident who recently joined the Buy Nothing Project facebook group. “I don't want to just throw quality things away, but I also don't have any actual purpose for them anymore, so I just hold onto stuff I don't need because I don't want to be wasteful. When I joined the group, I made a couple of posts, as a sort of last resort before deciding to clear out some unused items that I didn't really have the time to try to sell. Within a couple of hours, I was contacted by multiple people who had been specifically looking for items like the ones I didn't need. I was so relieved to be able to give them away and not have to just toss them in a landfill! Sure, I could have sold the items, but it felt good to just give them away, and know that I was helping out someone else.”
Monticello and Jefferson County have been a part of the Buy Nothing Project since November of 2021. At a time of so much uncertainty, so much loss, and limited resources, members of the community chose to band together and give freely to people in their own community who had needs and wants that could not be met alone. This is not friends giving to friends. Not families sharing their wealth. Not neighbors borrowing sugar. The people participating in this outreach are frequently strangers. People who have never met, who happen to live in the same town. These are people who, before corresponding through the Buy Nothing Project, may have seen one another only in passing at the local Winn Dixie, and who never thought twice about it. Through this gift economy network, bonds are formed. Friendships are made. And just maybe, the next time you run into that stranger at the local grocery store, or in the local doctor's office, you'll give a smile of recognition. Kindness breeds kindness. And here in Monticello, we believe that personal connections are far more valuable than “stuff.” In the words of Ryunosuke Satoro, “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”