Wild Iris Books is hosting its second Free Store event Saturday at 2 p.m.
Free Store is an event coordinated by the owners, Erica Merrell and Shirley Roseman, in hopes of providing basic necessities to people who can’t afford them.
It’s held at the Civic Media Center, situated at 433 S. Main St., and caters to poor, queer and trans people, Merrell said.
“Humans have so much stuff,” she said. “There are things in everyone’s closets, things in their house, things they got gifted that they don’t need.”
With donations from the public, the bookstore often fills the CMC with clothes, shoes, children’s toys and books.
With help from volunteers, all the goods are transported from a storage locker before the event, and piles of shirts are folded afterward.
Once a month, Wild Iris Books invites everyone to the CMC to swap items or take what they need.
Tyra Mishell, a UF anthropology sophomore, said she likes how the event recycles used clothing and reduces waste. She said she also likes how the event welcomes people from all backgrounds, especially those who need things such as clothes to stay warm.
The project started in the bookstore’s courtyard about one year ago, and it later found a home at the nearby CMC. In the future, Mishell said she envisions the Free Store as a service event where people can also get food, haircuts and massages.
For now, the event is held every fourth Saturday until April.
“Free Store first started off as two picnic tables,” Merrell said. “Now it is about two truck loads.”
