Free Store
Our first organizing project will be an Anti-Gentrification Free Store and food share. The praxis behind the Free Store is solidarity, not charity. This means people can take what they need from the space and share what they no longer use without expecting something in return. We advocate and facilitate the free distribution and exchange of clothing, food, gifts, household items, shoes, emergency prep materials, and other resources in order to develop an environment of cooperation, mutual aid, and sustainability in our community. These practices serve as a method to disrupt the way capitalism coerces us into social relationships where we view each other as competitors and our needs as commodities.
Conceptually, the Free Store is a component of a broader community-building process that seeks to empower residents of Leimert Park in the struggle against gentrification. In addition, we hope to connect with other mutual aid and autonomous solidarity networks around Los Angeles. While we realize that this project alone won’t end gentrification nor replace the system of capitalism, the principles of mutual aid, sharing, and solidarity can begin to develop awareness and confidence within our community about the possibility of building alternative economic realities.
At a Free Store, there are no “givers” and no “takers.” We all have needs, and we all have something we can share, whether it’s food, clothing, volunteer time, information, or simply letting others know about the store. Ultimately, the process of freely distributing and exchanging resources prefigures the beautiful reality that is possible when our community works together in solidarity and mutual aid.
Our next Free Store will be held Sunday, August 26 at the Leimert Park Art Walk from 2:00-6:00pm. Contact us if you have items to share or if you live in or around the neighborhood and would like to support the project. We are particularly looking for the following items:
Acceptable Donation Items
- clean, dry clothes
- craft & hobby
- bags, etc.
- housewares
- books
- music recordings
- instruments
- small electronics
- matching shoes
- nonperishable food items
- emergency prep items
- DIY materials
- herbal remedies/products
- kids toys
- art & school supplies
- hand tools
- small electrics
- complete puzzles & games
- wrapped kitchen knives
- clean bedding
- unopened body care products
- towels
Unacceptable Donation Items
- furniture
- mattresses
- most tv’s
- monitors & printers
- boats
- microwaves
- scrap metal/bikes
- large baby strollers
- car seats
- prescription medicine
- flammable liquids
- toxic paints
- toxic chemicals
- used shower curtains
- broken junk
- out of season holiday stuff
- blinds
- skis
- moldy objects
- sheets of glass
- large framed pictures
- opened food
The initial Free Store was held as part of the day-long “Resist Gentrification Action Summit” on December 2, 2017, at Audubon Middle School in Leimert Park. We held a second Free Store during our Disaster Preparedness Workshop on December 20, 2017 at KAOS Network in Leimert Park. We’ve also set up the Free Store in collaboration with SPIT JUSTICE Open Mic, held each Thursday night at Hot and Cool Café in Leimert Park. We’d like to thank everyone who attended, shared, and supported each of these projects.
Leimert Park Mutual Aid Organizing Committee 