LAfreestore

Yesterday was everything that the LAfreestore was meant to be - and so very much more.

We are so happy you were able to learn some stuff, take some stuff, and share some stuff. The next event is already in the works, so stay tuned via the RSS feed!

Thank you to the demonstrators, the wonderful musicians, and our super-star volunteers! You are the LAfreestore!

Look for photos- soon to come!

KEEP SHARING LA!

  Live Music:

Doc Crow feat. Brian Berg

 

Triple Chicken Foot

 

Tom Rodwell

 

Artichoke

 

Skills/Demonstrators:

• 1-2pm: Learn all about Chicken Cooping in the city with Alex
  
• 11am-1pm: Free bicycle advice, tube and cable replacements from Joseph of the Flying Pigeon LA
• 11:30am-12:30pm: Help with your Spanish class is here! Spanish Tutor with Randali
• 10:30am-2pm: Free permaculture design help, fall planting advice, seed pod workshop to help you make an edible and sustainable LA with the help of Dave the Farmer
• Skills trade with Gretel
• Gift giving and swaps with Kelli
• 2pm-3pm: Learn to knit and crochet with Joya of Enjoyables!
• 2pm-3pm: Are  you a writer or are interested in learning a new creative outlet? Learn how to make your own zine out of re-purposed materials with the help of Mae’s zine workshop of Vaya!

 


 

See you tomorrow LA!...bring your own tote!

 We have some new additions to the LAfreestore event!

 

Live Music:
Artichoke

Skills demonstrators:

•  Need some tips on the old six-string? Guitar lesson with Ryan
•  Help with your Spanish class is here! Spanish Tutor with Randali
•  Learn all about Chicken Cooping in the City with Alex

If you would like to teach a skill to the community of LA, please email us at [email protected] to see if we can accommodate you. Otherwise, feel free to time bank with someone at the event.

 

Feel like helping out? LAfreestore is happily accepting general staff volunteers for this event. Even a commitment of 30 minutes is fine with us! If you are interested, please email us right away!

  In response to emails and inquiries, I have surmised a basic how-to and what-not list for the LAfreestore experience:

 

·      Bring your own shopping bag… shopping bags/throw away bags will not be provided for you – put those cute totes and baskets to work!

 

·      If you would like to be listed on the LAfreestore’s event page and be an official demonstrator to teach the community something they may not already know, please contact us to see if we can find you a spot, and a time slot! Otherwise, everyone has the opportunity to share their skills in the general meet and greet of what is the LAfreestore experience.

 

·      It is so exciting to see that so many of you want to share your talents and are bringing your contact information to share with each other. All we ask is that you keep in mind that the event is to promote a trade economy.  So, everyone’s service is of equal value and if you would like to trade services with someone, that is what we are here to help you do!  We hope you do meet someone who has a service that you can trade time with - this is a version of time banking! At a time bank, One hour of service=One hour service.

 

 

·      We are so thrilled to hear of so many who are wanting to share with your community, and take a little too! So, to accommodate all of you, there will be a check in at the entrance where you will deposit your gifts – our staff will be sorting, folding, hanging, stacking, and sorting some more as you enter the event. So please, we ask for sweet patience as the items are brought in and sorted and displayed.

 

·      Please be sure that all donations are useable/wearable, in other words, if you are bringing clothes to the LAfreestore, please be sure they are washed and ready to wear.  One of the main goals of the LAfreestore is reduce our waste stream, and when we treat our used goods like trash, we think of them as trash. So if we treat them well, and bring them in wearable condition, we can see that our used goods are just that – GOOD!

 

 

·      If you are planning to bring food items, please be sure that the foods are non-prepared foods such as pantry items, fresh produce, and canned goods.  We will not have utensils or cutlery or an official food server to distribute prepared/cooked foods, but I’m sure the community would love your unused pantry items that you just won’t get to before it expires!

 

·      The Cue: since every person will be checked in at the entrance, with their donations, we ask that you please wait patiently in line, and remain on the sidewalk.  York Blvd. is a busy street so please be very careful.

 

 

·      Parking: please, please find parking along York Blvd.  Our land owner has made a special request that we respect the residential street and find parking along York Blvd.  York is a very long street! Surely parking can be found there!

 

·      Finally: Our dear giving owner of Casa Princessa Café has kindly donated the use of his space for this event… so please keep in mind that the LAfreestore is OUTSIDE ONLY.  Inside Casa Princessa Café is NOT the LAfreestore. Once you enter his building, you are inside his store, which requires money.  NOTHING INSIDE his building is free.  All free exchanges are outside only.

 

Saturday is nearly here! Gather your goods! Bring your best smile and handshake, and don’t forget your tote!

Saturday is almost here! We have some exciting news... the following list is a taste of what will be featured at the LAfreestore event this November 13th, for free of course!

Live Music:

Intersession Guitar by Ryan Aguilar

Doc Crow featuring Brian Berg

Triple Chicken Foot

Tom Rodwell


Skills/Demonstrations/Gifts and Trades:

• Free bicycle advice, tube and cable replacements from Joseph of the Flying Pigeon LA
• Free permaculture design help, fall planting advice, seed pod workshop to help you beautify the city with the help of Dave the Farmer
• Skills trading with Gretel
  
• Gift giving and swaps with Kelli

More to come- Check in as the week progresses...

Keep sharing LA!

The date for the grand opening of the LAfreestore is set for November 13th! That gives us all time to bag up those old clothes and sweaters and coats you know you'll never wear this winter. I will be posting drop off locations/dates as well as pick-ups that I will do LAfreestore of service (of course!) in the local North East LA/Pasadena area.

Location is at the edge of Highland Park and Eagle Rock:

Casa Princessa Cafe
4527 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, Ca


This event will gladly accept and distribute all washed/clean clothes, shoes, accessories, home decor, small working and clean appliances, usable/clean furniture, and bric-a-brac.

The LAfreestore also welcomes all forms of media including books, CD's, cassette tapes, DVDs, VHS, records, and more. Further, LAfreestore happily distributes your yard sale “leftovers”!

We also encourage you to clean out your pantry - and donate unwanted food items (within expiration dates of course) to those who may need to obtain food at the event.  This extends to any other food that you are willing to share with the community- such as vegetables from your garden or from your CSA box- the stuff you know you won’t actually consume.

There will also be live music shared. Bring your instrument and play a tune for everyone! Want to share your poetry? Say some spoken words? Share those too!

If you have an idea for a station/table/workshop that you could man - the answer is YES! If you would like to volunteer for anything including lending your tables for displays, setting up, taking down, helping people to their cars, PLEASE email us at [email protected]. 

We would love for you to volunteer for any of the following:

• Organic garden advice
• Shoe shine
• Yoga time
  
• Time-Bank Meetups
• All about Chicken-Coops
• Advice Corner from Auto Mechanic
  
• Knitting instruction
• Solar cookout!
  
• Good ol' Games!
• Guitar lesson
  
• Alternative Healing
• How to bee a beekeeper!
• Bicycle Tune-ups and advice
• Recycled Art 
• Home composting
  

Do you have a talent or service that is not listed? Just email us and we'll add you to the scheduled list!  Also, please note, that If you are able to lend tables, folding chairs, and/or pop-up canopy tents that could be used for this one day, that would be extremely helpful.

Remember, this is a community exchange- LAfreestore is simply a means to organize such exchange. We are not a licensed non-profit and your donations are not tax deductible, but there is no monetary exchange of any sort; it is an event to share and give amongst like-minded individuals who can join together to create community in the city. And of course, all of the trades will be very much appreciated by the person who is need of your gift of goods and/or service.

Thank you for participating in this wonderful experiment to bring a different aspect of community to the city, by sharing of things and of self.

With thankfulness,

LAfreestore