Write a commentOn Saturday, Organize Oswego held their inaugural free store event at the Oswego Public Library.
The “store” was located in the Community Room; shoppers were greeted by members of the organization as they walked in and given a paper bag to shop. The greeters, who included newly elected Oswego City Councilor Jonathan Ashline, sat at a table fully stocked with various community health items like NarCan, masks—even slices of pie wrapped to go.
Inside, the tables were stuffed with items like books, DVDs, puzzles, games, clothing, jewelry, hand-made ornaments, and a wrapping station. A snack table was also fully stocked for shoppers and volunteers alike.
“Everything is going up price-wise but people tend to have a lot of things they don’t need anymore—it’s just about making what we already have more accessible and building community,” said Organize Oswego representative Kyle Dzintars. “We are taking care of each other that way because we can.”
The organization says more than two dozen people donated items to bring the idea to life, with members offering pickup for those who wanted to donate but were unable to transport their items. According to Dzintars, the event opened with as many as 50 people waiting to shop. While iHeart Oswego was in attendance later on in the day, a steady stream of shoppers wandered the tables.
Based on the community response, there will be more “free store” events planned by the organization in the future, said Dzintars. Organize Oswego is also planning another of their popular Fix-It Clinics for January, with an exact date still to be determined.
Other community efforts by members include the stocking of Blessing Boxes across the City of Oswego. Readers may find a full list of stocked Blessing Boxes on Organize Oswego’s Instagram page.
According to their Facebook page, Organize Oswego is a grassroots organization working to get people organized to address community issues in and around Oswego, NY. For more information about upcoming events or to get involved, email organizeoswego@gmail.com.
