Northside church’s “free market” is a huge hit

The Times-Dispatch featured Ginter Park’s Northminster Baptist Church’s free market in an article just before the Christmas holidays. The overview of the mini flea market — where area residents flock to pick up a variety of household items contributed by church members — is a great read about some good community engagement: Dozens of round tables […]

January 6, 2009; 5:31 PM • by North Richmond News

Dozens of round tables are stacked with sweatshirts and jeans, Star Wars toys and socks.

Those who need the items begin lining up at 8 a.m. — even though the doors won’t open for two more hours.

Each Saturday has seen 200 to 300 people crowd the room, all of them learning of this Free Market simply by word of mouth in their communities.

“It’s like Black Friday,” said Cassie Matthew, the founder of the Free Market.

A few months ago, Matthew and fellow churchgoer Terry Smith lost a mutual friend to cancer. Wanting to do something worthwhile with the clothing from the friend’s closet, they brought the items to Northminster during its weekly Food Pantry, the food distribution service established almost eight years ago by church members Carl and Jeanne Murdock.

“It started with one table. And then two tables. And then one room. And then two rooms, until finally, we needed the worship center,” said Matthew.

For more information, visit the Northminster Baptist Church website.