We prefer permissionless resource exchange whenever possible. Our free clothing rack is an example of this.
Anyone can leave clothing on the rack and anyone can take clothing from it. We got this idea from a sister community center, the Fledge. We put it outside as an experiment and it’s been a mixed bag. Way more people use the rack when it’s outside but people also start offloading their unwanted clothing without putting it on the rack. We’ve had dirty clothing, underwear, clothes with holes etc. which makes sorting through it all unpleasant and time consuming when the volume of “donations” increases. We’re still figuring out the best way to mitigate the issues. Another question is how to measure the usage. We’ve considered some different methods but we haven’t settled on one yet.
For all its challenges, we’re glad to offer this important resource to our neighbors in need.