The Niagara Free Store operates pop-up markets where we give out clothing and household items for free to everyone, no paperwork or questions asked. We believe that everyone should have access to the things they need for free.
Upcoming Free Stores
Saturday October 3, 11am – 3pm
📍33 Queeston St., St. Catharines
In collaboration with Harvestfest and Queenston Neighbours
Thursday November 24 11am – 3pm
📍33 Queeston St., St. Catharines
In collaboration with Harvestfest and Queenston Neighbours
Donation drop-off locations
Priority Items
We are currently accepting the following donations:
- Bedding, blankets, sleeping bags, towels
- Kitchenware, homewares, decor items
- Tents & tarps
- Toys & games
- Boots & shoes
- Winter clothing – coats, snow pants, gloves, mitts, scarves, hats, balaclavas, socks
- Hoodies, sweaters, jeans
Items we accept/distribute:
We are currently accepting the following donations:
- Accessories | Art & Collectibles | Audio & Electronics | Bikes | Books | Gardening Supplies | Gently-used Clothing Hobby & Craft items | Houseware & Kitchenwares | Musical Instruments | Pet Supplies | School Supplies | Small Appliances & Furniture | Sporting & Exercise Gear | Tools | Toys & Games
- Please try to ensure items are properly washed, in working condition, and packed appropriately before donating.
Items we do not accept/distribute:
The Niagara Free Store does not accept:
- DVDs
- Lamps
- Soaps, Lotions, & other toiletries
- Medicine
- Food
- Used underwear
- Car seats
- Large furniture/ appliances
Volunteering with the Free Store
The Free Store runs entirely on volunteers! If you are in need of volunteer hours, want to contribute to a community mutual aid project, or simply just love the Free Store we could use your help. Volunteer roles include staffing Free Store pop-up markets, managing donations and inventory, helping with fundraising & promotion, and more – no experience is necessary, training will be provided. Questions about volunteering? Email us.
Keep the Niagara Free Store running!
The Niagara Free Store currently is housed in a storage locker. Our goal has been to secure enough sustainable funding to pay for a permanent space where the Free Store can be accessible year round, a space to host workshops, a free meeting space for the community, and to expand our inventory to include furniture donations. If you can, please donate to help with Free Store costs!
Frequently asked questions
The Free Store was created in spring 2018 for local open-street festival In The Soil, in order to provide a free, useful, sustainable, and accessible option. Its popularity encouraged us to continue hosting the Free Store in conjunction with other events downtown! In 2022, we hosted 18 Free Stores throughout the summer in collaboration with the James St. Market Series.
The Free Store takes things that people no longer want (such furniture, housewares, clothing and accessories, sports gear, books, and school supplies) and passes them along — at no cost and with no questions asked — to people who have a use for them. The Free Store is dedicated to providing for the needs of the community (both the student population and Niagara residents) in a manner that promotes sustainability, connection, skill- and resource-sharing, and alternatives to capitalism.
FS Zine – readable.pdf
Download PDF • 6.45MB
Yes – everything is free, no questions asked! We operate on the basis of generous donations from the community.
No identification or proof of need is required to take from the Free Store!
The Niagara Free Store is financially supported by OPIRG Brock as well as donations from community members, sponsors and partners. There is currently no permanent space for the Free Store, but it is one of our main financial goals, as well as being able to support the organization, planning, and staffing of the Free Store!
If you or your organization can support us in any of these goals, including obtaining a permanent space for the Free Store or storage in Downtown St. Catharines, we would love to talk about a partnership! You can reach out to us by emailing info@opirgbrock.com.
The values and beliefs of the Free Store are to:
– Challenge the view that for something to be worthy it needs to have a price attached to it;
– Create a no barrier option for folks being able to acquire things they want and need;
– Host a non-charity option for mutual aid that showcase the importance of financial accessibility in our events and cities;
– Present an alternative that challenges our patterns and beliefs about “need to buy more” and wasteful consumerism.
The Niagara Free Store is a mutual aid project, which means that it operates within a framework of community members helping each other, not the top-down approach that is common with charities. Ideally, everybody would be involved in a continuous exchange of clothes, household items, food, so that everybody would have what they need and nobody would go without. The Niagara Free Store doesn’t require anybody to prove that they are “in need” or “deserve” any of the items we are giving away, and everybody is encouraged to donate the things that they no longer need.
Niagara Free Store – Free Resources
Free for All Niagara – Printable brochure of free options and alternatives to the Niagara Free Store
A mini guide to the Niagara Free Store and Mutual Aid – Zine on the Free Store & mutual aid
(Click here for readable version)
List of Public Libraries in Niagara
Other organizations accepting donations
Disclaimer: Some organizations who provide items for free have active partnerships with the Niagara Regional Police. In order to ensure safety, we encourage anyone accessing these services to take the necessary precautions before doing so. For organizations partnering with and pursuing partnerships with the NRP, we call on you to acknowledge the barriers, potential harm, and active harm that working with and promoting the NRP causes for users.
