Simi residents find website clicks with their needs
More than 1,100 members use Freecycle.org
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers THEIR BOOTY- Deborah Dennert, left, and her children, Kaela, 5, and Daeton, 7, pose on the bunk bed that they got from Freecycle two years ago. Candice Jones, right, picked up a treasure trove of items through Freecycle as well, including a portable dishwasher, bags of barely used batteries, CD racks and a brand-new surround sound system. The online group allows members to post information about items they no longer need and give them away to others who can put them to use.

Candace Jones was a little worried when the portable dishwasher in her home started to break down.

With no extra money in her budget to purchase a new major appliance, the 33-year-old Simi resident hoped that someone in the community would be giving away exactly what she needed.

With that in mind, Jones turned to the same Internet-based community group that had once helped her acquire free shelves for her son's bedroom- the Freecycle Network.

"Ours was taking a dive and I didn't know how I could replace it," Jones said. "It was just my luck that someone was giving one away right when I needed it. I really scored on that one."

The Freecycle Network, which was founded by conservationist Deron Beal of Arizona, began as a small e-mail to about 40 of Beal's friends in May 2003. Today, the network consists of 4,217 chapters all over the world, with more than 4.3 million members whose mission is to promote reusability and trash reduction by local gifting.

In Simi Valley alone, more than 1,100 members give and take a plethora of reusable items, such as home appliances, books, children's toys and clothes, and just about anything else- as long as it's offered for free and is legal and appropriate for all ages. Membership in the network is free, and nonprofit organizations are also welcome to participate.

"I just think it's neat- the whole recycling concept and keeping stuff out of the landfill," said 36-year-old Deborah Dennert, the volunteer moderator of the Simi Valley group.

Dennert first heard about the growing Freecycle network from a friend in Washington and was moved to start one in Simi Valley in December 2004. At the time, the closest chapters were in the Conejo Valley and Ventura. She was one of two people who started the group, but today she runs it alone after her co-moderator moved to a different city.

So far in January there have already been more than 100 posts on Simi Valley's Freecycle message board, some asking for books and clothes, and others offering such items as an Internet router, home decor and a 35-mm Pentax camera.

"There are two sides to it," Dennert said. "It's great for the environment and fun to get things for free. On the other hand, there are people who don't want to throw stuff away and feel better about giving it away for someone else's benefit."

Among the many items that Dennert herself has gotten from the Freecycle Network in the past are a bunk bed for her son, homeschool curriculum for both her kids and, most recently, a pet turtle from a college student who had to move away.

She also recalled once seeing an offer for a full set of wedding rings that someone wanted to give away specifically to a couple who were "in love" but couldn't afford to buy their own.

Jones said she's given and received hundreds of dollars worth of items through the Freecycle network since she first joined in 2006.

"It's nice because the usable items are really being reused," Jones said. "I have given away oodles of things, and some are just odds and ends."

Some of the things Jones has given away include sports equipment, Boy Scout supplies, old magazines, fill-dirt from her yard and even boxes of pinecones- one of which was taken by a man who liked to decorate them with his grandson during Christmas.

Jones also said she planned on cleaning out her freezer this week so she could donate old meat to someone who could use it for dog food.

Almost no request is too weird, as long as the members follow the rules, she said.

The most important rule that Freecycle members go by is that goods should be given and taken in a charitable manner, under the idea that one person's trash is another person's treasure. The forum cannot be used to advertise services or yard sales, and no mention of money is allowed. Moderators also ask that a new member's first post be an offer, rather than a "wanted" message.

When it comes to the actual pickup, givers are free to make exchanges at their own discretion. Jones said that for safety reasons people will often meet in public places or make arrangements to leave items on the front doorstep labeled with the taker's name.

Most of the time, there is no face-to-face contact.

"I love it," Jones said. "The whole point is not to waste, and people on this site are just trying to make sure their stuff isn't just dumped into the landfill."

For more information on the Freecycle network or to join the local chapter, visit www .freecycle.org or send an e-mail to SimiValleyFreecycle-owner @yahoogroups.com.