Our Mission
The Stanford Free Store is a massive collection of free goods: books, clothes, shoes, school supplies, household items, and more. Stanford community members can donate to the store or take needed items - all for free!
The Free Store is an amazing resource for three main reasons:
(1) It acts as a receptacle for items that would likely otherwise be thrown away, thus reducing material waste on campus.
(2) It provides a wellspring of great, usable stuff for community members, thus reducing consumption of new goods.
(3) It creates an affordable (free!) source of valuable items for low-income community members.
We seek to facilitate the free exchange of items and ideas within the Stanford community as a means of fostering a culture rooted in sustainability, creativity, accessibility, and collaboration.
How We Began
In February 2011, Nicole Gaetjens, of Students for a Sustainable Stanford, and Nicole Greenspan, of Green Living Council, were assigned to create a business plan for a social enterprise for their Alternative Spring Break class. They decided to make the plan for, and implement, an on-campus thrift store. They sent out an online survey to gauge interest in a thrift store, and over 900 students responded with support. The Nicoles also received advice from other on-campus thrift/free stores, such as those of UC Berkeley and Clark University. They then approached the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) for support and advice, particularly in finding a space for the store. They'd initially hoped for a space in Tresidder Memorial Union, but found the rent prohibitive. ASSU Executive Angelina Cardona suggested using space in the basement of Old Union, and connected the Nicoles to Jeanette Smith-Laws, Director of Operations and Student Unions, to discuss this possibility. Because of zoning laws, financial transactions could not occur in all areas of Old Union except The Axe and Palm. The idea thus evolved into a free-store model, which had initially been a concern due to potential chaos; however, a limit on the number of items a customer could take per visit eliminated this potential chaos. Jeanette agreed to have a part of the Old Union basement be used to pilot a student art gallery and free store for what remained of the spring quarter. The Union Underground team had grown to include students Annie Fryman, Iberia Zafira, Liz Matus, Shaan Chugh, and Travis Kiefer. They emailed campus lists to solicit student art, and obtained the initial store inventory through Stanford Nourish and students who were going abroad for the next quarter. Infrastructural supplies, such as decorations and shelving, primarily came from a grant from the Stanford Green Fund and donations from the Stanford Student Store. The store, initially called the "Clothes Loop," had its grand opening on May 20, 2011, with over 300 students and staff attending. Throughout that spring, Union Underground received enough positive feedback to remain active during the 2011-2012 school year. Union Underground currently functions as a partnership with the ASSU Sustainability Cabinet and the Student Services Division.
Press
(February 2015) The Stanford Free Store nears possible closure
(November 2014) Keys to Sustainability fair showcases green efforts
(November 2014) Students respond to potential removal of The Free Store
(November 2014) Stanford’s Free Store may lose space in Old Union basement
(February 2014) Editorial: Making Fashion Sustainable with Union Underground
(October 2011) Editorial: A free solution to Stanford's waste problem
(October 2011) Union Underground reopens after last spring's trial run
(June 2011) Closing the Consumption Loop
(May 2011) Clothing exchange, art gallery brighten Old Union basement
The Stanford Free Store is a massive collection of free goods: books, clothes, shoes, school supplies, household items, and more. Stanford community members can donate to the store or take needed items - all for free!
The Free Store is an amazing resource for three main reasons:
(1) It acts as a receptacle for items that would likely otherwise be thrown away, thus reducing material waste on campus.
(2) It provides a wellspring of great, usable stuff for community members, thus reducing consumption of new goods.
(3) It creates an affordable (free!) source of valuable items for low-income community members.
We seek to facilitate the free exchange of items and ideas within the Stanford community as a means of fostering a culture rooted in sustainability, creativity, accessibility, and collaboration.
How We Began
In February 2011, Nicole Gaetjens, of Students for a Sustainable Stanford, and Nicole Greenspan, of Green Living Council, were assigned to create a business plan for a social enterprise for their Alternative Spring Break class. They decided to make the plan for, and implement, an on-campus thrift store. They sent out an online survey to gauge interest in a thrift store, and over 900 students responded with support. The Nicoles also received advice from other on-campus thrift/free stores, such as those of UC Berkeley and Clark University. They then approached the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) for support and advice, particularly in finding a space for the store. They'd initially hoped for a space in Tresidder Memorial Union, but found the rent prohibitive. ASSU Executive Angelina Cardona suggested using space in the basement of Old Union, and connected the Nicoles to Jeanette Smith-Laws, Director of Operations and Student Unions, to discuss this possibility. Because of zoning laws, financial transactions could not occur in all areas of Old Union except The Axe and Palm. The idea thus evolved into a free-store model, which had initially been a concern due to potential chaos; however, a limit on the number of items a customer could take per visit eliminated this potential chaos. Jeanette agreed to have a part of the Old Union basement be used to pilot a student art gallery and free store for what remained of the spring quarter. The Union Underground team had grown to include students Annie Fryman, Iberia Zafira, Liz Matus, Shaan Chugh, and Travis Kiefer. They emailed campus lists to solicit student art, and obtained the initial store inventory through Stanford Nourish and students who were going abroad for the next quarter. Infrastructural supplies, such as decorations and shelving, primarily came from a grant from the Stanford Green Fund and donations from the Stanford Student Store. The store, initially called the "Clothes Loop," had its grand opening on May 20, 2011, with over 300 students and staff attending. Throughout that spring, Union Underground received enough positive feedback to remain active during the 2011-2012 school year. Union Underground currently functions as a partnership with the ASSU Sustainability Cabinet and the Student Services Division.
Press
(February 2015) The Stanford Free Store nears possible closure
(November 2014) Keys to Sustainability fair showcases green efforts
(November 2014) Students respond to potential removal of The Free Store
(November 2014) Stanford’s Free Store may lose space in Old Union basement
(February 2014) Editorial: Making Fashion Sustainable with Union Underground
(October 2011) Editorial: A free solution to Stanford's waste problem
(October 2011) Union Underground reopens after last spring's trial run
(June 2011) Closing the Consumption Loop
(May 2011) Clothing exchange, art gallery brighten Old Union basement