You may have passed by a little hidden store that offers students free items and not thought much of it. However, this store is a project that asks students to take an item from the table that catches their eye, all in the name of helping them and building community.  

Started by Soledad McCarthy, a business professor at Skyline College, the free store is a small table located on the third floor of Building 8 outside of her office. It offers a variety of items donated by various people, with no limit on what they can give. Students can find items as small as earrings or as big as furniture.
“There’s times where we’ve had actual furniture that we’ve brought up, and that’s fun because we get to meet students who will stop by and talk to us because they’re either trying to move out or move away from roommates,” McCarthy said.

Its origins stem from a sense of community and personal experiences that inspired McCarthy to make this project come to fruition. She expressed how it is a community builder and a way for students to connect and meet people they may not normally meet.

A poignant and specific instance that led to the creation of the free store was her mother’s funeral. McCarthy expressed how, when her mother passed away, at her funeral, she put out a table that was full of pieces of jewelry and valuable mementos, and she asked people to take something that reminded them of her mother.

Sharing this origin was attorney and business law professor Stefani Shek.
“My mother-in-law passed away and left lots of useful things — kitchen appliances, storage containers, office supplies, etc. We couldn’t use it all, so it was great to give her things to the free store, so other people could use them,” Shek said.
While some may not know about this store, it is quite busy and popular, according to McCarthy.
“There’s just so much foot traffic, and it’s from everyone, from faculty, from professionals, from students,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy isn’t the only one who feels fond of this free store, many students find it interesting, especially Skyline student Evangeline Gorostiza, who was helping McCarthy put things out on the table.
“I think it’s really cool to have something that gives back to students and raises morale,” Gorostiza said. 

Students can find all sorts of things tucked away on Building 8’s third-level hallway; many would be surprised to find a store like this one. What started as a passion project is now a small community built up by a group of individuals. This free store right outside of room 8-315 is open for business Mondays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.