Charles Street
The Free Store
video tour
Check Out UFH’s Free Thrift Store
The Free store works entirely on donations. Residents drop off items that have been gently used and clean. They are then sorted by Community & Recreation staff and put on display in the Free Store and then, when the store is open, residents come and pick out what they would like for free. All residents are welcome to shop and/or donate.
Because of the Free Store, 5-10 garbage bags are diverted from landfill every day!
Did you know that UFH has its very own thrift store that also happens to be completely free and exclusive for residents at Charles Street to use??
The Free Store, located on the 3rd floor of 30 Charles, is a place where residents drop off items that are gently-used. Donations are then sorted, and put on display for residents to pick out what they would like for free.
Each day, the equivalent of 5-10 garbage bags are diverted from landfill because of this amazing project!🌎♻
For more info on the Free Store, visit our website at the link in our bio.
#LiveWithUFH #UniversityFamilyHousing #UofT #uoftstudentlife #UFHFreeStore
Location
The Free Store is located on the 3rd floor of 30 Charles St. West. When open, the area is monitored by security staff and the Free Store is always staffed. Residents living in both 30 and 35 Charles St. W. are welcome to use the service.
Hours
Updated as of May 2, 2022
Wednesdays
5 – 7 pm
Saturdays
2 – 4 pm
Donating
The Free Store encourages resident donations during the day to our location. We have a donation bin in the hallway that can fit many donations. For the most part, we accept any good-quality, clean and small item or clothing. As a reference, here are some items we seek.
- Arts and crafts
- Baby cribs
- Backpacks and purses (like new only)
- Books (no course readers)
- Cassettes, CD’s & Records
- Charis (small sizes)
- Clothing (all types, clean and gently used)
- Computers and laptops
- Curtains
- Dishes (like new only)
- Exercise equipment
- Clothing irons
- Jewellery
- Lamps
- Magazines (recent only)
- Microwaves
- Shoes (like new only)
- Silverware
- Sporting goods
- Tools
- Toys (small, like-new and clean)
- Fabric and thread
Items that are NOT Accepted
Donating items is a very environmentally-friendly way of giving to others. However if your items are dirty, broken, damaged or large they cannot be accepted. The following are items that are not accepted as donations. They should be put in garbage bags and thrown in the garbage.
Do Not Donate:
- Appliances
- Box springs
- Building materials
- Car batteries
- Car seats
- Ceiling light fixtures
- Coil springs
- Course readers
- Diapers
- Encyclopedias
- Food
- Futons
- Hazardous materials
- Mattresses
- Newspapers
- Paint
- Puzzels (unless sealed)
- Rugs, carpets or padding
- Sofas or couches
- Soiled items
- Space heaters
- Tires
- Underwear
- Weight sets (not dirty, broken or garbage)
Shopping
The Free Store is operated by the Residence Life staff, Community and Recreation. All residents are welcome. Please do not give access to anyone from outside the building. This is a resident resource.
Aside from Free Store property you’re welcome to take anything. If you are unsure about whether something is Free Store property, please ask the staff member on-duty.
Children are welcome, and we maintain a good stock of toys for them to take home if they wish. Please always watch your kids as our staff cannot take responsibility for children in the Free Store.
We work hard to keep the Free Store as clean and organized as possible. Please help us and your fellow residents by tidying up any mess you make. We welcome your help in other ways too. If you see a need please talk to us. Your contributions will benefit your community.
If you enter the store with food or drink, you may be asked to leave. This is a pest control precaution.
The Free Store was started by a group of residents many years ago. In the 1990s, the Tenant’s Association got involved to attract and organize a volunteer team to manage the incredible and constant flow of donated items. In 2004, the Tenants’ Association requested that the popular service be taken over formally by Community & Recreation. Community & Recreation staff gladly agreed and have been running the operations since 2005. It remains one of the most popular services at the residence.
