Have you ever wondered what to do with all of the clothes, toys, books, puzzles and just general kid gear that accumulates around the average home? A group of women in Pittsburgh, PA took on the challenge of finding something useful to do with these items and had a ton of fun in the process.

The Recycle Circle is a group of moms and tots getting together for a morning of instituting the three R’s, all under the guise of playing, relaxing, and having fun. The goal is to Reduce Reuse Recycle—that is, reduce the amount of unwanted misfit toys that get thrown away and end up in landfills by trading/sharing with another family who will reuse, recycle, and give them a new home. Likewise, the hope is to reduce the amount of money spent on mountains of toys and, instead, provide these items for other families with young children—especially those who may not otherwise have the resources.

For this first event, I partnered with Mary Beth Yount, the director of the Brookline Kids Preschool, a free preschool program at Brookline Boulevard U.P. Church. Mary Beth graciously offered one of her preschool classrooms for us to use. The location was great because the children had a great time playing in the kid-friendly space, and it easily accommodated this initial gathering of 30 people. With everyone bringing a light-lunch-type dish to share, we had more than enough food for all the guests, and the preschool had tables and chairs for the kids to sit and eat. As for the donations, each mom brought bags full of toys/books/clothes/like items that were in good condition and suitable for sharing. Truthfully, the amount of gear brought was well beyond what was expected! We had a blast browsing the goods and selecting items to take home. The browsing and sharing was a great ice-breaker for those guests who had just met. It was good to see everyone getting into the spirit of things, and at one point I wondered aloud, “why is it that our friends toys are usually more fun than our own?” The kids enthusiastically agreed.

The mountains of great items remaining were donated to two locations where families will be able to take items free of charge. The first receiving charity is our local Angel’s Place house where assistance is given to young mothers who are in need of support and resources. The second location is a new Family Resource Room at Brookline Boulevard U.P. Church. Inspired by the Recycle Circle concept, Rev. Marsha Sebastian ,the pastor at the church, has donated an entire room for items to be available to anyone in the community. In less than a week, director Mary Beth has already gotten the room organized and ready to welcome guests. The room will provide clothes for both kids and moms as well as toys, books, puzzles, and even bigger items such as baby baths and bouncy chairs. In addition, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will provide jars of natural baby food; making the Family Resource Room an extension of the already existing on-site Food Pantry. With the well-equipped free preschool program, the Family Resource Room and the Food Bank, the church is truly a unique community center for families in the Brookline area in the city of Pittsburgh. I tip my hat to these remarkable programs and the passionate way in which these ladies serve their community!

Do you want to start a Recycle Circle in your community?? We encourage families to create a group among their friends and families to keep the circle spinning. If you would like more information on how to start a Recycle Circle, check back to earthmother.org when we’ll share some tips and guidelines that helped make this first event so successful. We can’t wait for the next Circle!

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