http://www.independent.com/news/2009/sep/02/iv-free-box/
An Insight Into the Meaning of Community
September 2, 2009
By Cat Neushul
The I.V. Free Box is one of the things about Isla Vista that make it special.
During the more than ten years I've lived in Santa Barbara, I've made
the trek down to the I.V. Free Box again and again. You may ask why.
Sure, I've dropped stuff off at most of the area thrift stores, but
there's nothing quite like the Free Box. For one thing, I've been
turned away from more than one thrift store with items that were
deemed unworthy. I once tried to drop off a set of dishes that we had
been using but no longer wanted. The gentleman at the thrift store
drop-off just shook his head no and told me to take them back. I
tried to explain that there was nothing wrong with them, but he still
didn't want them. I don't remember what I did with those dishes, but
it was a turning point in my giving career. From then on I tried to
find new homes for unwanted items in places they would actually be appreciated.
One of those places was the I.V. Free Box. I've dropped off jeans,
shoes, children's books, and stuffed animals. Once I even left a
fully-functioning coffee maker. Each time I leave items, I've noticed
that people come by to check them out, even before I've driven away.
They seem to keep an eye out for people leaving items in the open
wooden bins located on Embarcadero del Mar, in front of the Isla
Vista Recreation & Park District (IVRPD) office. You might see
members of a family holding up a shirt or pair of pants to see what
the others think. Or you might see a student looking for something
they need, or might like, such as a new pair of sandals. Or you might
find a homeless person looking for something to keep them warm at night.
I've encountered many interesting people while dropping off items.
One woman, who saw I had left a pair of jeans, asked me if I had them
in a particular size. She told me about a homeless friend of hers who
was in need of some more clothes. She also told me about herself, and
how she had once been homeless, but was now off the streets. Before
she left, she gave explicit instructions on how to find her friend,
if I had what he needed. It was one of the many ways people at the
Free Box show that they care.
In its more than 30-year history, the Free Box has been used as a
drug den and as a sleeping space. That was when it was covered and
enclosed. It's been set on fire twice. It's been moved from Seville
to its current location on Embarcadero Del Mar. It's been removed and
rebuilt by Eagle Scout Andy Emory. And with this rich history has
come many proponents.
When the IVRPD threatened to remove the Free Box for good several
years ago as a result of violent arguments, people leaving dangerous
items such as hypodermic needles, and a myriad of other issues, the
Friends of the I.V. Free Box stepped in to offer their support. One
way they did this was by distributing some positive information about
this beloved receptacle. They even came up with a type of manifesto:
"The Free Box is a place to leave clothes you no longer need so
others can enjoy them… It's also a great spot to make friends and
build community. The Free Box is a commons a community resource
that benefits all of us and needs each of us to take responsibility
for its care."
Below the guiding principles is a list of dos and don'ts. While most
of the rules are pretty obvious keep things clean, take only what
you need, only leave items that fit in the bins, no TVs, no
computers, no furniture some were a little more intriguing. The
list of don'ts includes no wax, liquids, powders, or jigsaw puzzles.
And people were asked to leave the lizards and plants alone. At first
glance I thought they were trying to discourage people from leaving
lizards in the box, but this particular don't is actually a request
to be kind to the landscaped area surrounding the box.
One of the people who has supported the Free Box over the years has
personal reasons for feeling so strongly. Helen Meloy, who is now a
professor at Santa Barbara City College and Cal State Northridge,
said she used the I.V. Free Box to clothe her family while she was
going to school.
"That's how I survived in graduate school," she said. With six
children to clothe, and not enough money to even consider buying from
a thrift store, Meloy said she used the Free Box for eight or nine
years. "My only 'purchases' were free from the free box," she said.
Meloy said she often found designer clothes with the tags still
attached. She said she would wash them, and wear them in style. "In
the 1980s I used to joke about having something in common with Nancy
Reagan we both wore designer clothes that we didn't have to pay
for," she said in an e-mail asking the IVRPD to keep the Freebox in
2005. She also said the Free Box provides a great way to recycle.
Each year the box is removed at the beginning of June when the
students move out. This is to prevent people from engaging in
excessive dumping. People are encouraged to take their unwanted items
to the Give Sale, a yearly event in which furniture, clothes, and
other items are sold in an effort to benefit community organizations
and nonprofits..
Meloy said the Free Box was a type of community institution that
everyone should have. "I hope people start doing this in their
community", she said. "The biggest gift you can give is the gift of survival."
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