As the end of 2022 draws near and we’re overdue for an update, it’s tempting to try to reflect on the work done this year by somehow quantifying it. But we’ve learned that our truest strengths, goals, and achievements can’t easily be measured… so this update might get a little messy!

When we set up this Open Collective account and fiscal sponsorship a little over a year ago, we were anticipating using funds mostly to keep the shelves consistently stocked with a wide variety of items, and to hold regular events such as free sales and distributions. We’ve discovered that while some people are really good at doing that kind of work, it’s not actually something we can keep up with very well. 

There are so many wonderful community members and groups that support the Free Store with donations, contributions, and more, but ultimately it’s just one family managing everything. To keep the work sustainable for us in the long run, some things had to shift this year.  

The Free Store has grown into being less of a “general store” and more of a “personal shopper service,” to borrow language from the store metaphor. The stand is still actively in use and isn’t going anywhere, but now the items we purchase and source are primarily for specific people and/or purposes. Some items are needed regularly, while others are to support rapid response work in many different situations, including extreme weather events. 

Making the most of our limited funds and bandwidth by prioritizing this more personal (and personalized) care work has been rewarding, humbling, and HARD. The system isn’t designed to support the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our society, and trying to fill this huge and ever-expanding gap feels mostly impossible. But we’ve really only got each other to lean on, so we just keep doing what we can in a way that aligns with our principles. 

We’re going into 2023 with a clearer vision: to continue to deepen our relationships with the people we serve, and to keep the focus on quality over quantity. We also want to build up the work around sharing information and knowledge with one another that advances our collective survival, so we’ll be thinking about how to do that efficiently and effectively. 

Tonight is solstice, the longest night of the year, and Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. Unfortunately, there’s been many tragic losses of unhoused people in Vallejo this year, some of whom we knew, so we’ll close out this update with an invitation to honor them however you might feel called to. Thank you, everyone, for supporting this project and the people it reaches.