Welcome to the Adelphi Free Store!

New! Find us on instagram @adelphifreestore!

How can I support & get involved?

We are a small collective of neighbors who have built and maintain the store. You can reach out to us and get involved!
Email TylerGHall@gmail.com with your name + cellphone # to join our volunteer team. Donate to support our store on Venmo to @tylerghall

What is a Free Store?

Open 24/7 and accessible to anyone and everyone, our free store is a place for community members to stop by anytime and drop off donations directly onto the store’s shelves, from clothing and linens to toys and home decor. Then, anyone in the neighborhood can stop by and take whatever they would like, at any time.
A free store is a unique way for people to responsibly get rid of things they no longer need by putting them into the hands of others who can use them, free of charge, in a way that also builds community.

What donations do we take?

We take most things, we just ask that you donate in moderation and with consideration.
Don't bring large items (e.g. furniture), food, or medicine.
Don't dump a bunch of items at once, for example. Hang, sort, and neatly display your items.
Before you donate, consider if the things you are donating are truly suitable for redistribution. Would you pick them up?

Who can take donations?

Anyone may take donations. There are new rules or limits to how much you can take or what purpose you are taking them for.
Our neighbors might take donations for themselves, to send elsewhere, or even to resell to earn some much-needed income -- we welcome all these uses!
If an item skips the landfill and ends up in the hands of someone who could use it, then the Free Store is accomplishing its mission.

I have an idea, question, concern, or complaint. Who should I direct it to?

You can leave a note in the mailbox at 380 Adelphi, talk to a volunteer if you see one, or email TylerGHall@gmail.com.
If you have a complaint or concern, please do not call 311! Try to resolve your problems with us first ♥️

We're always upgrading! We added a more permanent rack, shelves, and drawers for more storage, and roofing for weather protection.

The upgrade cost a few hundred dollars. We are looking for donations from the community to support the rebuild and any ongoing upkeep. If you'd like to contribute, please Venmo @tylerghall with the subject line "Adelphi Free Store".

Thank you! 💸

VOLUNTEER GUIDE: how to tidy & purge

Being a volunteer is very simple:

Walk by and see a mess? Tidy it up!
Join our WhatsApp group (see email above to join) and send a photo of your tidy

Volunteers often ask about how to tidy, here's a how to guide:

✨Leave the store organized, tidy, and free of trash or junk (see pictures below)
👕 Hang all clothing from hangers
🗂️ Consolidate the shelves so there's free space
🚫 Ensure there's no trash or items on the ground/sidewalk.
🪑Move large items to the curb (for trash or taking)
🗑️ Put trash/junk in the garbage can on the corner.
⚠️ Our property = the shelves + clothing rack. Items/trash anywhere else can lead to a 311 complaint and risk the free store being shutdown.

BEFORE TIDY & PURGE

AFTER TIDY & PURGE

👕 Hang all clothing

Put belt loops and clothing tags through the hanger to keep them from slipping off as people are browsing
Shoes can go below the clothing or get stacked on the shelves
Only baby clothing or clothing that cannot be hung can go on the shelves -- we want shelves clear for other items

👕 Large items go to curb.

We don't accept large items (crowds the free store and can get us a 311 complaint)
Put large items at the white pole to the right of the store -- someone will take it or NY Sanitation will

🗑️ We get a lot of trash -> it goes in the bin.

There are unwanted donations at the free store and they need to be tossed to keep the store tidy and functional
Don't be shy: you are empowered to throw things away!
Common items to remove in your tidy:
- Empty packaging and boxes
- Missing or damaged sets: busted boardgames, trashed puzzles
- Visibly broken objects: rain soaked books, electronics with snipped cords, etc.
- Unidentified random objects (UROs) - bits of plastic, metal, or paper. If you don't know what it is or what it's for, it's likely no one else does.

BEFORE TIDY & PURGE

AFTER TIDY & PURGE

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