Freeycle

• How it works:

  Freecycle is a national organization for giving away - or getting - material objects from someone else in your community. The point of Freecycling is to give away instead of throw away. There are Freecycle groups in many counties and regions. When there is enough local demand a town, or a neighborhood, may spin off its own Freecycle group to satisfy that demand. Notices of what is offered, or needed, can be posted on each Freecycle group's web page or, more commonly, are sent out via email broadcast.

  Freecycle is always free!

  Until you see with your own eyes, it's hard to believe how many people want to give really good items away for free. Freecycle group membership and all items given away through its groups must always be completely free. You can't charge anything for items you give up, regardless of their value.

  Here's how to freecycle:

  • Visit freeycle.org, and select a group to join.
  • Wait for moderator approval (usually given very quickly)
  • Read the group's posting guidelines, and get started! You can give items away, request items, or reply when someone posts an item you want.
  • Give Items Away
    A good way to begin freecycling is to give away something you no longer need. Post it to the email list of the group you have joined. People will email you asking for the item. Choose a recipient and set up a time for him/her to pick the item up. You can leave it on your porch, with the doorman, or people can ring your bell when they arrive.
  • Two Ways to Receive
    
    1. Post a request for something you want.
    2. Respond to a post made by someone else, asking for the item they're giving away.
       When you're chosen as the recipient of an item, be sure to pick it up at the agreed upon time and location. Conformance with agreements is always appreciated in the Freecycle community.

Food donations

• North Jersey

• Bergen County Homeless Shelter
  Only accepts unopened packages of food
  120 South River Street
  Hackensack NJ 07601
  201-336-6480
  
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church
  451 Van Houten Street
  973-278-7900
  Paterson NJ 07501
  (corner 18th Street and Broadway -
  Shelter is down the steps near middle of building's parking lot).
  Accepts both prepared and packaged food items.