Network lets users swap items
Eugene’s chapter of
Freecycle.org started on
Oct. 23, allowing members
to recycle unwanted things
By Caron Alarab
News Reporter
To someone else, it was just a bag of
random plant bulbs. But to Eugene
resident Lisanne Dickenson, it's a gift
she was more than happy to receive.
"1 don't even know what they are,"
the 38-year-old said. "We'll just have
to see next spring."
Dickenson received the bulbs
through the Eugene chapter of Freecy
cle.org, an international network that
connects individuals who want to "re
cycle" their stuff by giving it away
rather than throwing it out. After hear
ing about the network through an ar
ticle in The Oregonian, Dickenson
founded the local chapter on Oct. 23
because she wanted to help lighten
the flow to local landfills.
"It's a give and get for everyone,"
she said. "And the whole idea makes
it all so much fun."
Through a Yahoo listserv at
http://www.Freecycle.org, each regis
tered member posts a request or an
offer for a specific item and then waits
for telephone or e-mail responses
from other members. Participants can
post anything their hearts desire, from
used furniture and appliances to sec
ond-hand clothing and musical in
struments.
The only catch: Everything is free
and no one can post a price.
As a Freecycle group moderator,
Dickenson said she has been consid
ering several new ideas for the Eugene
chapter, including free pets, carpool
rides and weekend getaways.
Dickenson said she was thrilled
when Eugene chapter membership
jumped from 38 to 210 local partici
pants thanks to a small article in the
Nov. 6 edition ofThe Register-Guard.
And she's not the only one.
"I'm absolutely tickled," Freecycle
Network founder Deron Beal said.
The Tuscon, Ariz., native created
the Yahoo listserv in May to help give
away extra junk for Rise, a non-profit
transitional employment organiza
tion in his area. Beal turned to the In
ternet as an international venue for
trade after realizing that calling
around to offer junk to people took
too much time.
"It has enabled a lot more people
Eugene resident
Maryanne Obersinner
got a used food
dehyrdator through
the Freecycle
network, which
she used to make
dehyrated
apple slices.
Tim Bobos ky
Photographer
to give stuff away," he said. "And the
more people who have fun with this,
the better off we all are."
In less than six months, the Tucson
chapter has grown from one to 1,500
members due to media attention,
while new chapters have sprouted in
cities worldwide, from Maui, Hawaii,
to New York to Tokyo. The recent es
tablishment of the London chapter
marked the 50th city to participate, and
Beal said the number rises everyday.
"It really is going well," he said.
"Everyone is pulling together all over
the place."
With plans to separate from the Ya
hoo listserv and eventually establish
an independent Freecycle Web page,
Beal has started to raise funds for the
site, which will not have pop-up ad
vertisements like Yahoo.
"I'd like to take it up to the next lev
el," he said. "And a free-standing Web
page, to me, is synonymous with the
crystallization of Freecycle as an inter
national movement."
After giving the bag of plant bulbs
to Dickenson and receiving a much
needed food dehydrator through
Freecycle.org, Eugenean Maryanne
Obersinner said she thinks the local
chapter will be a great success.
"I think Eugene is a town where
something like this will really take
off," the O'Hara Catholic School
teacher said. "People are just freely
giving to their neighbors and it feels
good to do that, but it's still anony
mous. "
After joining the Portland and Eu
gene chapters, Obersinner said she
feels the organization is a true "com
munity builder" because people are
helping other people without any
monetary profit.
Beal said he is eager to hear about
growing student membership in the
University area considering the gener
al rapid member growth spurred by
newspaper articles.
"There are all kinds of possibilities
with students," he said. "They can
even meet with fellow members to
trade at a central location, like cam
pus."
As he watches his creation grow, the
self-proclaimed "hopeless optimist"
said the success of Freecycle.org rein
forces his positive outlook for the fu
ture of the organization.
"One member phrased it best
when he said, 'It's changing the world
one gift at a time,'" Beal said. "Hey,
maybe that will be our motto."
Those interested in joining the Eu
gene chapter can visit:
http://gioups.yahoo.com/group/freec
ycleeugene.
Contact the business/science/
technology reporter
at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com.
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PEACE
continued from page 1
South during the height of the civil
rights movement. He also partici
pated in the Freedom Rides.
Hubin said the Office of the
President invited Lewis to the Uni
versity because he has broad ap
peal as a speaker.
"His focus on nonviolent social
change, justice and peace are
themes we knew the University
community and the community
broadly would benefit from engag
ing in," Hubin said.
In the spring of 1965, Loewis helped
organize a march over the Edmund
Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., with
more than 600 people. According to
Lewis' Web site, state troopers attacked
the marchers, and the event became
known as "Bloody Sunday." 'Fhat
march and a subsequent march be
tween Selma and Montgomery, Ala.,
led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Lewis was first elected to Congress
in 1986 as a representative of the 5th
Congressional District, which encom
passes the entire city of Atlanta. For
the past 17 years he's served in that
position and is now in his ninth term.
Lewis has been given numerous
awards and honors for his civil rights
work, including the Martin Luther
King Jr. Non-Violent Peace Prize and
the National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People's Spin
gam Medal. He was also a recipient of
the John F. Kennedy "Profile in
Courage Award" and the National Ed
ucation Association's Martin Luther
King Jr. Memorial Award. Lewis co
authored a novel in 1998 entitled
'Walking with the Wind: A Memoir
of the Movement."
The free event is open to the
public.
More information about Ix-wis can
be found at http://www.house.gov/
johnlewis/.
Contact the people/culture/
faith reporter
at jaredpaben@dailyemerald.com.
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