Lauren Graves
Free StoreThis strange oxymoron is now a reality at campus. The name suggests that students, faculty, and student can all visit the Cougar Free StoreThey can take what they want, without any payment.
You can go in and take what you need. Kate LiseoStudent intern at The Center for Sustainable Development(CSD), who runs the Free Store. “The only thing you need to do is sign out what you took on the sheet near the door.
The store is stocked full of donated clothing, dorm and school supplies, housewares, books, and other items.
There is a pretty short list of items that we don’t accept, says Liseo, noting that the store does not accept unsanitary items or large appliances like mini-fridges.Otherwise, if you think that someone else would get good use out of it, we’ll take it.
The Free Store’s goal is to reduce waste.
The College of Charleston has set itself the goal of becoming a leading institution in Charleston. Zero waste by 2035This is an opportunity to recycle waste, rather than waste going to the landfill. Darcy EverettSustainability director at the CSD.
Everett wondered if there was a way to get those donations back into the campus community.
Intern Kate Liseo is a senior psychology major who organizes items in Free Store. Lauren Graves, photo
The Free Store was her solution.
Liseo, a senior psychology major, has interned at the CSD from her sophomore year. She has been working at the Free Store since its opening in the fall of 2020. Working at the Free Store has been an amazing experience. been pretty rewarding because I’ve been able to watch it grow. We’re getting a lot more donations now, and there’s a really good balance of goods going out and goods coming in. It’s being used with great respect.
Through its pop up clothing swaps and local partnerships, the Free Stores benevolence goes beyond the doors of CSD.
The College of Charleston’s Cougar Free Store has pop-up events in Rivers Green. Lauren Graves (Photo: Lauren Graves).
One thing we like to do are swaps around campus because we can get more information about the Free Store out to students that don’t happen to come by the store, explains Liseo.
Free store? confused students exclaim after reading the sign by the pop-up: How can it be free?” and “Is it actually free, or is that a joke?
It’s no joke and last semester the Free Store participated in business casual clothing swaps with Women in Business and withThe Master of Business Administration program.These swaps were so popular that the Free Store now boasts a permanent rack for business casual wear.
The Center for Sustainable Development hosts a pop-up free store. Lauren Graves took the photo
The Free Store is currently collecting glass jars to partner with Stone Soup Collective. They also collect white dresses for their partnership partnership with Cistern Closet. This provides graduation students with free dresses.
The Center for Sustainable Development is home to the Free Store at 277 Calhoun Street. It is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesdays
You can find more information on the website, including how you can get involved. Cougar Free Store Website. Follow @sustaincofc to receive information about upcoming pop-ups or other events.
For more information about the College’s Zero Waste Initiative, visit zerowaste.cofc.edu.
Article, video, and photos by senior communication major Lauren Graves
