Buy Nothing
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased. – Hebrews 13:16
When I volunteered to coordinate the activities area of this year’s Shelter Week, we thought we were expecting about 20 women. “Why don’t you set up a manicure table? They’ll love that,” someone on Outreach suggested.
So I added an appeal in the Tuesday Newsletter for manicure supplies, puzzle books and coloring supplies to the long list of items needed. And of course, church members were generous. But wanting to leave nothing to chance, I also reached out to my local Buy Nothing Facebook group and was deluged with responses. In most cases, because this is how Buy Nothing works, I made the rounds picking things up and also enlisted Greg.
If you don’t know about this grassroots organization and are on Facebook, you might want to search “Buy Nothing” followed by your community. The concept is simple: Members either have something to give, have a request for something, or are looking to borrow something.
I am always mindful of the UMW rummage sale, which raises money for our missions, so I’m pretty frugal with what I post to give away. One time, someone asked for a hula hoop, and I had a fancy one from yoga that was gathering dust. We gave a weightlifting set that came with our house to the father of a teenager who was just getting into weights.
During the pandemic, you might see a mom home with young kids ask if anyone was going to Costco and could pick up a few things. I once surprised a friend who was about to buy a spare walker for her mother with a new-like walker from someone’s garage. People are always ready to lend their services, such as help with a resume.
I hear the national organization has launched an app, which makes me a bit sad. But I still appreciate the founding principle: “We exist to build resilient communities where our true wealth is the connections forged between neighbors.”
As you know by now, we didn’t get the 20 women we were expecting for Shelter Week. But that is another Lenten devotion that someone else may offer.
Prayer: Lord, make us cheerful, generous givers, and give us great joy in the privilege of giving. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Kathy Gardner
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