Come one, come all to the Free Store! As of Feb. 16, the UMD campus officially opened a Free Store for students, staff and faculty. Located in Chemistry 213, the Free Store is home to free clothes, kitchen supplies, furniture and more. What started as a pop-up free store to support international housing residents and mini clothing swaps across campus for all to enjoy, the Free Store now has a permanent location to support the UMD community. The opening day welcomed around 90 students to the Free Store.

The Free Store opening is all thanks to Minnesota GreenCorps member, Willa Kmoch. Kmoch began serving as a GreenCorps member in August 2023 and will finish their term with the Office of Sustainability in August 2024. Their focus on campus has included hosting food awareness days, leading invasive species removal and developing the Free Store for UMD students. 

“The Free Store is a space for all students to find school supplies, clothing, kitchenware and much more, all for the low cost of nothing!  Everything in the store was donated by students and the UMD community. The free store is a step forward towards creating a more equitable and sustainable materials loop on campus,” said Kmoch.

The Office of Sustainability student assistants staff the Free Store on Tuesdays from 10 am to 3 pm, as well as on Fridays from 2 pm to 6 pm. Additional days and times will pop up as community needs increase or for special events such as Earth Week. 

“I’m excited for off-campus students to have a chance to furnish their house and access free items. It’s cool to see how much we are diverting from the landfill and creating a space for students to find these things for free,” said Nicole Nelson, Sustainability Student Assistant.

During the Free Store’s available times, it will continue to accept donations of all kinds from students, staff and faculty. The Free Store accepts all feedback and recommendations for future items it should collect to continue to support the UMD community through email and in person.