The Free Store is a place to bring what you want and take what you need. It is an attempt to put into action one of the great principles of one of history's great radicals, "Freely you have received, freely give." (Jesus) In taking money out of the process of exchanging goods we are free to focus on making friends and building relationships. As our friend James Willamor tweeted recently, "I think bartering, sharing, and freely giving are the better options. Giving & accepting money is so cold and non-relational; a last resort."
The Free Store is attempting to challenge common notions of wealth and poverty and to create a space where people of diverse economic classes can connect with one another. In America breaking through class barriers is every bit as challenging and yet just as important as breaking through racial barriers. In crossing the economic divide we all can discover the mutual benefits of class cultural diversity and friendship.
Enough goods are produced in our world today that every person could potentially have everything they need to live but money creates scarcity. In taking money out of the equation The Free Store is attempting a radical social experiment to see what good might come out of a free exchange between classes of people that would normally not connect!
The Free Store is not primarly about the stuff that we give away. It is really about the relationships of mutual concern and support between people that don't normally mingle in our class segregated society.
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