Troy residents use Facebook to donate secondhand items and spread holiday cheer
You could call it a “holiday swap meet,” and it has helped dozens of people in the Troy area have a merrier Christmas.
Troy resident Carrie Lin Sanders shared the idea on Dec. 9 with members of a public Facebook group called “Out and About in Troy, Illinois.” She invited people to list items they really needed but couldn’t afford.
“Let’s check and see what others say,” Sanders wrote. “Maybe you have it and don’t need it or have a connection to get it. No selling. If you’re offering something on here to someone, it means you’re GIVING it to them for FREE!”
Sanders, 33, a home health-care aide, had seen the idea posted on a Facebook page for a community in Tennessee, where she formerly lived. She thought she’d try it in Illinois.
Her post prompted nearly 300 comments and kicked off a wave of secondhand gift-giving that included kitchen appliances, toys, comforters, coats and other clothes, shoes, roller skates, diapers, baby formula, Christmas dishes, gas cards, children’s books, a desk, bed, dishwasher, dryer, TV stand, area rug and folding chairs.
“I have an American Girl doll my daughter would like to provide,” one woman wrote. “(She) got several when she was really too old for them so she didn’t use it at all. I can take a picture if anyone would have a young girl who would like one.”
The woman’s offer was accepted by someone with a 7-year-old foster child. Another woman asked for a wheelchair and got this response:
“I have a wheelchair that I had for my mother and father. It is dusty from storage but was in perfect condition last time I checked and still had the tag on it. I would love to give it to someone who needs it.”
The ‘gift’ of experience
Not all of the gift-giving in the Troy Facebook thread involved things. Some involved experiences.
One single mother offered to take another single mother and her children on a trip to the new St. Louis Aquarium and pay for everything. Another woman asked for people to send Christmas cards to a veteran.
Still another wrote: “Looking for a responsible adult that is willing to take my 11yr old son deer hunting. He has already taken his hunter safety class. I know shotgun season is over. He has a crossbow and wanting to tag out this season. Please PM me if you have hunting grounds and able to help.”
Collinsville resident Jim Stone, 45, owner of Stone’s Home Improvement, offered to use his pick-up truck to deliver items to homes and even help with assembly if needed.
“When I saw that lady’s post and all the people writing in, I was like ‘Wow,’” he said in an interview. “It was just amazing.”
Sanders is a single mother with a 13-year-old son, Jasin Denis Sanders. They’ve had their share of financial rough patches.
“I’ve been there,” Sanders said. “I was working non-stop to support my son, and one year I had to ask for help because I couldn’t afford to buy Christmas presents. I could barely put food on the table.”
By last Thanksgiving, Sanders was feeling more stable and wanted to give back to the community. She and her mother, Shelly Reeves, delivered dozens of home-cooked meals to Troy residents who expressed a need on Facebook. They also dropped off food at the police department.
Sanders’ post on Dec. 9 explained: “I have been greatly blessed in this new season and I want to spread some holiday cheer to those who are in need. ... Money is especially tight right now so let’s all look out for each other.”
16-year-old offered help
Some people who responded to Sanders’ post used the opportunity to share information about other community resources, such as places to get medical equipment or coupons for baby formula.
The Rev. Rose A. Scott-Lusk wrote that her church, New Beginning OutReach Ministries in Pontoon Beach, operates a store where items are available for free to those in need.
Some people posted offers of help without being specific.
“I’m willing to buy something for someone in need,” a teenage girl wrote. “I’m only 16 so I don’t have too much money to spend, but I’d be more than happy to help someone!”
That post led to several compliments.
“Tell your parents that they’ve done an amazing job raising you,” one man wrote. “It’s so very kind to offer such a thing. ... This post and your comment restored my faith in humanity for the day, and for that I am appreciative.”
Several people in the “Out and About in Troy, Illinois” Facebook group thanked Sanders for her post and the thought behind it. One called it an “awesome” idea.
Another summed it up this way: “Now this my friends is what Christmas is all about.”
This story was originally published December 24, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
