I LOVE this!
Local families embracing 'buy nothing Christmas'
By Matt Markovich
SEATTLE -- The Christmas buying season is almost over and many can boast they paid nothing for their gifts.
They are part of a "buy nothing Christmas," a movement that started almost 18 months ago by a handful of Bainbridge Island neighbors who wanted to get rid of things that were "cluttering up their lives."
Known as the Buy Nothing Project, the movement now boasts 80,000 members and 9 nations.
Lauren Pineda, a mother of three small children, found herself saddled with medical debt and didn't have the money for Christmas this year. But she knew she could turn to the Ballad Buy Nothing group that she has moderated for the last six months.
Through postings on the group's Facebook page, she was able to offer up items she didn't need and was able to pick up like-new products as Christmas gifts for her kids. It's not an exchange -- it's all about gifting.
"It doesn't need to cost a Lot of money to have Christmas or to go through life," says Pineda. "Sometimes just having people around you is the best kind of community."
"Give where you live is our saying," Pineda
"Buy nothing Christmas means buy nothing," said Hodges "It means enjoy Christmas, enjoy your family and don't stress about your budget."
"If you don't have anything to give at that time, there's nothing wrong with asking," said Hodges. "When you have something to give, you put it up there when you can."
Members are told to keep everything legal and civil with no buying, selling trading or bartering. It's all about giving says Hodges.
"It's all free, it's all gifted by people in our community and we all gift to each other, that's why it works," Hodges said.
A simple elegant way to help members of your own community to meet their needs. It also strengthens the bonds between members of your community. Bonds that can be used to help the community in other ways.
buynothingproject.org