The Buy Nothing Project: A Social Movement Promoting Gratitude, Connection & Community by Ann Marie G. Halstead

Have you heard of the Buy Nothing Project? Perhaps there is one in your community or neighborhood. Buy Nothing is a global social movement with a simple mission: “To offer people a way to give and receive, share, lend and express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors.”

Being a part of a Buy Nothing Facebook group, like many inspired by BuyNothingProject.org, is to witness and participate in regular, even daily, acts of kindness. You can post anything you’d like to gift, lend or share with your neighbors. You can also post a wish, something you’d like to borrow or receive for free, whether for yourself or a family member.

What are the principles of the Buy Nothing Project? “We believe our hyper-local groups strengthen the social fabric of their communities, and ensure the health and vitality of each member ... We believe in abundance, we give, we ask, we share, we lend and we express gratitude ... We value people and their stories and narratives above the ‘stuff.’ We are inclusive and civil at our core ... We view all gifts as equal; the human connection is the value.”

If you’d like to strengthen the social fabric of your community and inspire human connection and gratitude among your neighbors, consider starting a Buy Nothing group. Visit BuyNothingProject.org and become a part of the global Buy Nothing community.

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Photo: BuyNothingProject.org