Facebook group leads to micro-giving community
Marisa Mender-Franklin stands in a neighbor’s backyard on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, where she will soon plant a flower garden. Mender-Franklin recently posted in the Facebook group “Buy Nothing Midtown/Downtown,” asking if she could plant flowers on someone’s property to grow and sell. She received numerous replies. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian)
When Virginia Cupples posted in the Buy Nothing Midtown/Downtown Facebook group, she thought her “in search of” request was quite a long shot.
Cupples, a musician, was in search of a French horn, since hers was broken beyond repair. Surprisingly, she was met with several replies and was able to obtain a French horn from a commenter.
From French horns to washing machines and dryers, kitchen cabinets and children’s clothing, the new Buy Nothing group has launched to pair unwanted goods with individuals who want or need them, creating a community of giving.
The only catch is that all the items are completely free of charge.
The first person to comment on an item has 24 hours to arrange a socially distanced “porch pickup.” If arrangements are not made within that timeframe, then the item goes to the next person in line who commented.
Petya Kirilova-Grady started the group in November after reading a New York Times article on minimalistic living that referenced a New York-based Buy Nothing Facebook group. Initially, she invited 30 of her Facebook friends to the local Memphis group. As of Jan. 23, there are more than 2,000 members.
“First of all, I had no idea that it would grow so fast,” she said. “This is crazy. We started (Buy Nothing) the end of November, right after Thanksgiving. I sent it out to 30 friends because I read about it, and I didn’t know how it would go or if it would make sense.”
Kirilova-Grady did not send the group invitation to anyone else for a while to test out the group to see if it would work in the Memphis community.
“It was so lovely from the very beginning,” she said. “Then, of course, people started naturally sending the group to their friends. It has grown completely organically, and we’re close to 1,500 people in less than two months.”
“It’s about the exchange of items, but it’s also intended to create more connection and community with your neighbors. I encourage people to create their own micro-giving communities. There’s something so special about the fact that people aren’t paying money for this.”
Petya Kirilova-Grady
Buy Nothing Midtown/Downtown Facebook Group
During the pandemic, Kirilova-Grady, her husband and daughter moved from a condo Downtown to a larger house in Central Gardens. All of the excess items in the house made her anxious.
“We’re all at home during the pandemic, and I didn’t like how all of these items were exploding in my house. Nothing like moving makes you regret your purchasing habits,” she joked.
The New York Times article, combined with her desire to declutter and simplify her home, were catalysts for launching the group.
The “About” section of the Facebook group says it is intended for “people who want to live sustainably by saving money, reducing waste and strengthening their community.” The group is trying to achieve this by creating a gifting economy and giving away or requesting unwanted items for free.
Items that have been put up for grabs or requested have included baby strollers, lawn mowers, food items, shoes, clothing, gardening supplies and even a wheelchair for an amputee dog.
A budding florist posted to the group asking if anyone would be willing to let her plant and grow flowers on their property to then sell. Marisa Mender-Franklin, an elementary school art teacher, was shocked to have been met with dozens of replies, and her request has morphed into a soon-to-be flower farm.
“I had read about this model of growing flowers commercially on other people’s property, and it works really well in other places,” Mender-Franklin said.
The New York transplant did not know any landowners in Midtown well enough to ask if she could farm on their property. After seeing Cupples’ request for a French horn, she decided to take a chance.
“When I saw the French horn post, I thought ‘people in this group like a long shot. Let me put my long shot out there.’ ”
Mender-Franklin is in the process of obtaining a business license and getting all of the necessary paperwork to make the flower farm a reality. She intends to start planting in a few weeks and be selling direct-to-consumer by summer of 2021.
Buy Nothing group member Bekah McDuffie is also moving and is using the group to get rid of unneeded household goods.
“My sister is having a baby in two weeks, so I got a Rock ‘n Play for her,” McDuffie said. “Personally, I haven’t found anything (on Buy Nothing), but that’s because I’m purging.”
McDuffie, who works for the Dorothy Day House, has seen firsthand how many nonprofits are overrun with donations, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic and the holiday season that just ended.
“The Buy Nothing group makes it easy to list items and have them picked up within hours,” she said, noting that one item she posted for grabs was a large dresser. “I’m not going to physically be able to move the dresser, so if someone wants it so much to get it from my house, it’s much more convenient, and it benefits two households.”
McDuffie also enjoys the “in search of” posts from people looking for specific items like Cupples was. McDuffie posted that she could use a garment rack for moving purposes. A friend of hers replied that she had one, and the exchange was made.
People have also asked to borrow things such as a bulb digger and even an air fryer, either to test out the product to see if it is worth buying or to borrow for a specific project.
“You may not text your friends randomly and say that you need a garment rack, but it serendipitously happened,” McDuffie said.
Kirilova-Grady said the group has grown to include people outside of the Midtown and Downtown areas. While anyone is welcome to join the group, she recommends that people create their own Buy Nothing groups for their own communities.
“I created Midtown/Downtown because that’s my neighborhood,” she said. “It’s about the exchange of items, but it’s also intended to create more connection and community with your neighbors. I encourage people to create their own micro-giving communities. There’s something so special about the fact that people aren’t paying money for this.”
There are also Buy Nothing groups for Memphis/Mississippi/Arkansas as well as Bartlett and Collierville/Germantown.
Topics
Buy Nothing Downtown Memphis midtown memphisChristin Yates
Christin Yates is a native Memphian who has worked in PR and copywriting since 2007. She earned her B.S. in public relations and M.S. in mass communications from Murray State University.
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