7. Find joy. Create small ways for you and your children to have some fun. We all need some joy. Through our participation in a group called Freecycle (www.freecycle.org), our family has learned that if you are open, you can receive many gifts in this world. We might not be able to go buy everything we want any more, but we can get items that other people don’t need for free. The random joy that this group brings us has helped us through the dark times.

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This is where the The Freecycle Network comes in. Unlike my beloved bulk trash night, The Freecyle Network is not just a place to go to get stuff for nothing. It’s a place to give what you have and don’t need or receive what you need and don’t have. It is a free cycle of giving which keeps over 400 tons of stuff out of landfills daily!

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PITTSFIELD — Two months have passed since a North Street apartment building fire displaced 14 families — a total of 43 people and some of their pets — from their homes. Miraculously, no one was hurt.

Since then, loads of food, furniture and clothes have been donated to the victims, and thousands of dollars have been raised for them by the community.

And though most of the former tenants of 716 North St. have moved on with their lives — found a new roof over their heads, at least — some people are still feeling the burn.

In addition to the chain stores, the woman said she solicited items through an online Web site called Freecycle.org. Food donations were also made available through the Salvation Army facility on West Street.

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Out with the old
Not only did the Sathers purchase an array of appliances with Energy Star ratings for energy savings, but they also donated their old appliances, fixtures and even doors to Habitat for Humanity and the Builders’ Association collections for towns hit by tornados. During construction, they recycled all metal, plastic and cardboard and gave away many materials on freecycle.org, a website on which anyone can donate materials that somebody else might find useful.

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Terry Glazier, of Merrimack, uses Freecycle for cutting costs on many of her household needs and as a way to share with others.

The Freecycle Network is made up of 4,566 groups with more than 5.6 million members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and nonprofit movement of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills.

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Junk. With the exception of perhaps the very young or the very newly parentally liberated, we all have it. It’s everywhere — at the office, in the bedroom, in the kitchen. Well, it’s time to do something about it. While it’s not exactly spring cleaning season, it’s never too late (or early?) to take inventory and take charge of your stuff. Good starting places for junk removal are found all over the Web. The old standbys, eBay (ebay.com) and Craigslist (craigslist.org), are great if you know you’ve got something others want. One Web site you may not be familiar with is the Freecycle Network (freecycle.org). If you’re looking to give something away or get something for nothing (literally), this is the site for you. But for the rest of the stuff? The junk that sits around day after day because you just don’t know what to do with it? That’s where this column comes in. It is here to help you.

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Check freecycle: An online group for posting and searching for free items. Many communities have freecycle groups, including Snohomish County: groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclesnohomishcounty/

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From clothes to furniture to kitchenware, rarely a day goes by when we don’t need to procure or replace something. Fortunately for us, we live in a society where people are always getting rid of their old stuff to replace the slightly newer things they just bought.

It should go without saying that Goodwill and the Salvation Army are the go-to places for people looking for affordable wares (and grandma’s old summer wear). But a greater variety of goods —food, clothing and more — can be found in your local Freecycle group (www.freecycle.org). The Freecycle Network is a loose association of individuals giving away for free whatever they no longer need. You’re often expected to give away some stuff yourself, but once you get in the habit you can most often locate just about anything.

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Big box stores like Wal Mart haven’t been on the earth forever, and there’s nothing saying that form of retail is going to last. You can feel the tipping point. Freecycle isn’t just cheap, it’s right. A used child’s bicycle is shared, not discarded. People are hungry to share - it feels good - and it feels right. Using Craigslist to buy or sell a used dvd player or a car - either way, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

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Isaac Landreth uses Freecycle, a local online group, to recycle un-needed things, and eats some organic foods. “We are not as hardcore about it as some,” he said. “Green parenting for us is mainly about being eco-friendly and conscious of the decisions we make every day.”

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