Fairfield Shares: Reduce, Reuse…Give!
If you’re looking for something, chances are someone on Fairfield Shares already has it and would be more than happy to pass it along. Whether it’s a pre-loved piece of furniture in need of a little TLC, outgrown children’s clothes, extra art supplies just lying around, or even an unopened tub of ice cream (true story!). Anything—and almost everything (within the group’s guidelines, of course)—can find a new home here. With almost 5,000 members and an average of 150 posts going up daily, Fairfield Shares is a thriving community of exchange.
What you’ll soon experience for yourself after your first “Give” or “Flash Give” (don’t get the two confused as I have) is that there is an intrinsic culture within the group. And yes, everything really is free. The trust is implicit, but never taken for granted especially with a diligent team of admins overseeing things. Try to sell a gifted item and you are OUT. It’s a community that truly watches over itself, like a reliable neighborhood watch. And an earnest request (or “Wish”) is always met with an open heart—or quick sift through the closet. Whether it’s a refugee family in need of furniture for their new house as they start a new life here, a teacher short on supplies for her classroom, or a mom planning a birthday party for her child on a budget, the Fairfield Shares community does its best to come through for wishes—big or small.
Photo Cred: Jennifer Loya | One of the rocks painted by Joy, an 81-year-old retired children’s librarian, and gifted to neighbors during COVID.
Fairfield Shares, for anyone new here, is a local Facebook group for giving and lending products or services with the goal of reducing our environmental impact. The group was started by local moms Krissy Dingle and Kelsie Oreta, who’d met through the Pequot Library’s story-time program when their youngest children (now 4 years old) were infants. With a shared interest in thrifting and up-cycling, the two quickly became friends. Both Krissy, a former preschool teacher, and Kelsie, an artist and avid environmentalist, had enjoyed being a part of the “Westport Gift Economy” group. Once Krissy and her family relocated to Fairfield, she asked Kelsie to join her in starting a similar group here.
Fairfield Shares founders Krissy Dingle and Kelsie Oreta. Photo Cred: Loryne Atoui Photography
“We really wanted to include the whole town...We really wanted to foster an environment where people didn’t feel that something was not “enough” to give. If you’ve got overripe bananas and you’re not making banana bread, then yeah-give them!”
They would spend the next few months carefully researching and crafting a vision for the new group. “We really wanted to include the whole town.” Kelsie shares of their decision not to cap the number of members as other buy-nothing groups were doing. But to keep things manageable, the limit would be the town of Fairfield itself and you’d need to be able to prove you lived here. What also helped the group stand out was eliminating “first-come, first-serve” so more could go around to more people and encouraging the community to give more freely, even of seemingly insignificant everyday items. “We really wanted to foster an environment where people didn’t feel that something was not “enough” to give.” Kelsie explains. “If you’ve got overripe bananas and you’re not making banana bread, then yeah-give them!”
In October 2019, Fairfield Shares officially launched with friends and friends of friends joining first. Word quickly began to spread. One month and one hundred members later—a goal they’d consciously set before anyone could post—the first “Give” went up: a flatscreen television gifted by Krissy’s friend Stephanie. This was an encouraging start for Krissy and Kelsie, who at the time weren’t even sure the group would take off.
As the Fairfield Shares community has grown, so too have the responsibilities of managing it. A month in, Sarah LaGreca was asked to join as an admin to help Krissy and Kelsie out. They’d also met Sarah through playgroups and become close. (Sarah has since graciously stepped aside.) Karrin Smoley and Jennifer Loya would join the team next in early 2021. Both had been dedicated Fairfield Shares members before that and have brought in their own valuable skillsets to the team.
Fairfield Shares Admins: Jennifer Loya, Krissy Dingle and Karrin Smoley.
Photo Cred: Loryne Atoui Photography
The pandemic would be a defining chapter for Fairfield Shares and membership has steadily grown since then. All this time at home became an opportunity for many of us to purge. There were also now global shortages and shipping delays in getting the things we needed. And so, people turned to Fairfield Shares. After a brief pause in activities at the start of the pandemic, the group would become a cherished resource for those in it. “During Covid, this group really became the sense of community we all needed.” adds Karrin. Whether it was in the seemingly small gestures, like leaving a neighbor an extra roll of toilet paper, sharing some sourdough starter or passing along puzzles for that other neighbor with kids stuck at home, people were finding new ways to connect and support others. For an 81-year-old retired children’s librarian, painting rocks and leaving them by others’ doors became a creative way to pass the time and spread a little joy—fittingly, also her first name. Being a part of something bigger and knowing we had something to offer reinforced that sense of community that continues to shine through today. “The act of giving helped people feel less alone,” describes Kelsie.
At the time of writing this, Krissy and her family were in the process of moving to Washington D.C. At Krissy’s farewell, the Town of Fairfield presented both her and Kelsie with a Proclamation in recognition of all their hard work and the impact Fairfield Shares has had on the community. August 11th 2022 has been declared “Krissy Dingle and Kelsie Oreta Day”.
““It is amazing and humbling to see how our little idea has morphed into such a thriving community—and to think of how much stuff has found a new life instead of ending up at a landfill! I’m confident that Kelsie, Karrin, Jennifer and new admin Ellen Gilmore, will continue to guide our community and to ensure our members find joy in sharing.”
As a result of Fairfield Shares, our homes are hopefully a little less cluttered and we may now think twice (or at least check in the group first) before we buy something new. The group has inspired us to find creative ways to re-use or repurpose perfectly-good items. Many of those items continue to be happily shared within the community, shifting our perspective on second-, third- and even fiftieth-hand—as did one special “Happy Birthday” balloon banner that celebrated an estimated 50 birthdays in just one year by being passed through Fairfield Shares. And beyond just “stuff”, Fairfield Shares has genuinely connected and shaped a whole community.. one give, wish and story at a time!
