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!
Welcome back to UFH Home Highlights, our series where we showcase the different facilities and amenities of your home at UFH! 💙🏢 Today we’re going to be checking out the Free Store at 30 Charles Street West.
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Changes to the Free Store
Changes in Effect as of November 1, 2025
Due to the large number of unsuitable and unsafe donations being made to the Free Store, the following changes have been made to our donation and shopping processes to improve the safety and efficiency of our operation.
- Donations can only be made during open hours. This change is to allow staff to monitor what is being donated to the Free Store. To better accommodate residents, we have expanded the Free Store’s hours of operation.
- The donation chute is now closed to better monitor what is being donated.
- No donations in bags, boxes, or other containers. Residents will be required to display donations on a sorting table so staff can properly assess the suitability of the donation.
- Residents will now be asked to record the number of items taken with a staff member before leaving the Free Store. This is to allow for a greater understanding of how the Free Store is being utilized by the community.
Free Store Staff have the right to refuse donations that they deem unsuitable or unsafe. Residents will be required to take any unaccepted donations back with them. In general, the Free Store accepts most small, clean, and gently used items.
As a reminder, leaving any items in the hallway outside of the Free Store is strictly prohibited. This area is monitored by cameras and security staff regularly. Any residents found leaving items outside the Free Store will be charged a cleaning fee and have the incident noted in their resident records.
Thank you for helping us keep the Free Store a safe and accessible resource for our community.
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 November 1, 2025
Mondays
5 – 7 pm
Wednesdays
5 – 7 pm
Saturdays
1- 4 pm
Accepted Donations
The Free Store accepts resident donations during operating hours only.
Listed below are donation we accept:
- Arts and crafts materials
- Stationary (pens, notebooks)
- Backpacks and purses (like new only)
- Books (no course readers)
- Cassettes, CD’s & Records
- Clothing (all types, clean and gently used)
- Dishes (like new only)
- Exercise balls, foam rollers
- Jewelry
- Shoes (like new only)
- Silverware
- Toys (small, like-new and clean)
- Small home decorations
Items that are not on the above list are NOT accepted.
Donating items is a very environmentally-friendly way of giving to others. However if your items are dirty, broken, damaged or too large they cannot be accepted. They should be put in garbage bags and thrown in the garbage.
Shopping
All residents are welcome. Please do not give access to anyone from outside the building. This is a resident resource. You will be asked to sign in wit ha staff member when entering the Free Store.
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. Once you are ready to leave, you will be asked to record the number of items taken with a staff member. This is to allow for a greater understanding of how the Free Store is being utilized by the community.
Children are welcome, but must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times when 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.
