Imagine walking into a market filled with folks offering the goods and services you need — but nothing is for sale and everything is a gift.

Someone has a table with seeds from their garden ready for you to plant in yours. A different booth has bicycle repair tools and a gentleman standing by to help you fix that broken shifter. Menders are there to repair things that are broken and patch items that are torn. And everyone working the market is a member of your community, your neighbor.

Nothing is wasted and nothing is thrown away.

Author Robin Wall Kimmerer describes a similar scene in her book Braiding Sweetgrass. She calls it a gift economy, where private goods are converted to common wealth. In this kind of economy, the currency is relationship, not money, Kimmerer says. And that relationship exists between people, the earth, and all living things.

This was the model we looked to for The RE Store’s first-ever Share and Repair Fair on October 18th. And people showed up! We had more than 100 people join us at the Pioneer Pavilion in Ferndale, all contributing to the gift economy with their goods, services, experience, and curiosity—building relationship.

As the clack-clack-clack of a sewing machine kept time like a metronome, an experienced sewer showed visitors tips for how to keep the fabric in line. Those jeans were going to be worn many more days. Across the room, a master gardener explained how to use plastic produce containers as a greenhouse for starting seeds to a delighted, soon-to-be cultivator.

Visitors browsed tables piled high with donated clothing as others learned how to sharpen their scissors with a whetstone. A new homeowner learned which important maintenance projects they should prioritize from local contractors and electricians. After accomplishing what they came for, so many people stayed for everything else they found.

“I’ve been here all afternoon!” said one patron. “I’ve fixed three pairs of earrings, mended a sweater and have a whole new fit.” Another person, who hadn’t heard about the event but wandered in exclaimed, “Wait, it’s free?” after hearing what it was all about. Yep, sure is.

By the end of the afternoon, a once-broken harmonica hummed a new tune. A bicycle kickstand could now hold its weight. Do-it-yourself books were borrowed from the library, ensuring folks could continue to learn, innovate, and create on their own. People shared their knowledge, their time, their materials. The original goal of this event was to reduce waste. But we did much more; we built resilience, we built community and we found so many people who want to help.

We are so grateful for the participation, help, expertise and so much more from all the volunteers, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies who participated.

Thank you to the partners who made this event a success!

Thank you!