We’ve all seen it: the “free” box sitting on a curb, a silent hope that a passing neighbor might find value in a discarded toaster or a stack of paperbacks. In Brookings, we pride ourselves on being resourceful and generous, but until now, our efforts to keep usable goods out of the landfill have been largely uncoordinated.
That changes on April 25 with the inaugural Brookings Free Share & Care Day.
The brainchild of Trish Matson Buus, this “decentralized movement” is exactly what a community like ours needs. It’s more than just a citywide rummage sale with the price tags removed; it’s a pioneering effort in sustainability and dignity. By inviting residents to host “share spots” in their own driveways and yards, the event removes the barriers of traditional charity. There are no lines, no eligibility forms, and no stigma — just neighbors sharing with neighbors.
The timing is intentional. Falling just days after Earth Day, this initiative tackles the “all-time high” of consumerism by giving our items a second life. It also solves a logistical headache for local non-profits that often lack the storage space for every well-intentioned donation.
However, for this effort to succeed, it needs participants. Residents interested in hosting a share spot should visit the “Brookings Free Share & Care Day” Facebook page or fill out the official Google signup form — found at https://forms.gle/4uQxyhRsZp11HCLfA — to be included on the event map. As the City Council noted, the success of the event hinges on the “care” part of the title. Hosts must ensure that whatever isn’t claimed is properly cleared away. If we can prove that Brookings can manage a citywide exchange with common sense and tidiness, we set a model for the rest of the country to follow.
Let’s clear out the garages, set out the tarps, and prove that in Brookings, one person’s “too much stuff” is another person’s perfect find.
Volunteers get it done
As of late The Brookings Register has been running on a regular basis stories of Brookings area men and women who are beyond their biblically allotted three-score years and 10. And while they are “retired” they are still doing something meaningful that benefits their fellow men and women. They may continue working right where they’re at, be doing the same job and continuing to get paid for it or taking on a new job and getting paid for that.
But in most instances, they are volunteering to do something without pay, for the good of their fellow residents. Today’s Register’s story about one of them looks at Charles Schnabel. He continues to work as a BATA driver, providing trips to and from Sioux Falls for people who need that service. Meanwhile, he helps build beds for the Sleep in Heavenly Peace project. While his story is being told and other stories like his continue to be told, there are countless people in the Brookings area whose stories won’t get told.
They are young and old and of every age in between. They all have one common denominator: they are non-paid volunteers. Noted below are just a few with some of their contributions:
• The Friends of the Library recently wrapped up another book sale. Consider how much their efforts contribute to the education and entertainment of Brookings area bibliophiles. Setting up a huge collection of literature of all genres and restocking the tables with replacement of volumes as the sale progresses is a herculean task. So too is putting unsold books back into storage or culling them out of the collection.
• Local government at the county and city level — with the multiple boards, committees, and other groups — is especially dependent on the volunteers who step forward to participate without pay to keep representative democratic government going at the grassroots level is demanding. But the job gets done — because volunteers keep stepping up to do it.
• Some people who are volunteers in a different sense don’t often get credit for what they would like to do in the service of their fellow men and women: those candidates for elective office who don’t get elected.
“Victory has a thousand fathers but defeat is an orphan,” was reportedly voiced by President John F. Kennedy, following the Bay of Pigs debacle. Nobody celebrates a “loser.”
The Register doesn’t endorse political candidates; it gives all candidates the opportunity to speak their piece and promote their candidacy. However, the Register does admire the courage of all candidates who voluntarily throw their hats into the ring of the political arena and does extend appreciation to all those volunteers such as those noted above.
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