And a few lessons earned

By Kelly Kandra Hughes

“Welcome to Norfstroms!” Friendly volunteers greet residents as they approach the latest addition at the transfer station—an 8’ x 20’ shed that houses everything and anything from dinnerware and glasses to shovels and rakes. The shed, named Norfstroms by a town contest, is a collaborative, experimental project between Town Hall and Norfolk NET to help reduce the number of usable items going into landfills. 

“This is my first visit. What’s the deal?” asks Nick Thacher one Saturday afternoon. Nick has come with his two grandchildren, Alice and Henry, to take a look around. 

“Everything is free,” replies Lynn Deasy, one of the Norfolk NET volunteers who has helped staff Norfstroms during its first month. “People donate their gently used items, and we make them available here.”

Henry, who had one golf club at home, walked away with a complete set, including a bag. Alice asked if she could take home a bar stool. Her grandfather said no, but that didn’t deter Alice from sharing her opinion of Norfstroms: “It’s cool,” she says.

During the first month of Norfstroms, NET volunteers have seen many items come and go. Bicycles in good condition, particularly children’s bicycles, have been popular. A brand-new hammock was snatched up within minutes of being dropped off. A DVD player didn’t even make it into the shed before someone asked if they could have it. “The freedom of giving and the freedom of taking is the true joy of Norfstroms,” says one volunteer. 

One week, Tracy Hayhurst, manager of Husky Meadows, approached NET  about donating some seedlings. She explained that their last Saturday for selling vegetable starters was approaching and everything that was left was going to be composted. “Do you think there would be any interest?” she asked. The several flats she donated were gone from Norfstroms within a few hours. 

Chad Achenbach, who has stopped by every Saturday since Norfstroms opened on June 1, reported back  the following week that he had planted the seedlings as soon as he got home. “It’s fun to freecyle,” Achenbach says. “There’s always a second life for something.”

One of the most important aspects of Norfstroms, about which NET and Town Hall are adamant, is that salvage shed does not create any extra work for Howard Crunden, who manages the transfer station. NET and Town Hall are especially worried that if people come to drop off items at Norfstroms and it’s full, then they’ll leave their items outside the shed. Please do notdo this. If there’s no room inside the shed, kindly wait to make your donation at another time. If you are keen to get rid of your items, the Auxiliary for Community Health, located at 120 Willow St. in Winsted, also accepts donations. 

Another concern is that some people might be tempted to use Norfstroms as a way to get rid of their trash. After a few mishaps in taking items that might not have been appropriate for the shed, NET volunteers discussed with the Selectman’s Office what should not be donated to Norfstroms. These items include:

• Bulky waste (including tires and furniture, both of which incur a disposal cost). Anyone who has furniture they would like to give away should contact Norfolk NET at NorfolkNETCT@gmail.com, or 860-542-7185, ext. 262, or stop by the Hub at 2 Station Place to post on the NET Gifting Board about what they have available.
• Appliances with Freon (which also incurs a disposal cost)
• Car seats (for safety reasons)
• Clothes (please donate to the Congregational Church’s Clothes Closest, located in Battell Chapel)
• Books (please donate to the Norfolk Library)

Donated items should be clean and in good working order. Often just a quick hosing off or a swipe with some Windex will do, since people don’t want items that are covered in dust and dirt. Some volunteers have been helping to clean items that have been dropped off in less than ideal condition, but starting in July volunteers will no longer be staffing the shed every Saturday. 

Since the hope is that Norfstroms will be a permanent, self-sustaining feature of the transfer station, a new model of volunteering will be in place for July. One volunteer will arrive at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays to open Norfstroms’ doors and put some of the items on display. Another volunteer will return around 2:15 p.m. to return the display items to the shed and close the doors. If anyone would like to volunteer, please contact Norfolk NET. 

Every little bit of volunteering helps. Jeff Collado, a local contractor, offered to take a heavy piece of exercise equipment for scrap metal after it had no interest after four weeks, which nicely opened up some extra room in the shed. Collado also left with something for himself. “I have the same roof rack, but with missing parts,” he says, carrying out some metal bars. “I’m going to fix mine with this.” And therein lies the joy of Norfstroms.  

Photo, top, by Kelly Kandra Hughes: Chad Achenbach stops by to check out the offerings at Norfstroms, as he has every week since the recycling shed at the town transfer station opened in June.