Today, thanks to Front Porch Forum, I traded four aloe plants and six pint mason jars for a bag of kale and four jars of homemade pickles and salsas. Awesome.
In the last year, I’ve gotten free fencing for my pea plants, free plastic containers for freezing veggies, two free garden hoses, a free cat scratching post, and a bunch of recommendations for plumbing and heating contractors; I’ve given away lettuce and paint and ski tickets, moving boxes and lumber scraps and pallets, sold a fridge and a washer and dryer, and reunited someone with a large amount of cash found on the sidewalk.
Dang. Front Porch Forum is totally worth the $30 I contributed on Monday. I hope other folks enjoy this service as much as I do, and consider donating to keep it going.
• Dana, Montpelier FPF
“Not sure who, but some little fairy left me some chimney brushes on my deck. You’re so sweet! Thank you!”
“I would like to add my support to FPF’s outreach for membership donations. Who doesn’t read it avidly every single time? Who has not felt an expanded and enriched sense of community through its pages? Front Porch Forum makes us into a family, one who gives and shares, asks and finds, communicates and discusses issues that concern us. How many of us have been given just what we needed for free, many times over? Whose desire for recommendations has not been fulfilled by some caring neighbor? Who has not experienced the gratification that comes of giving something no longer wanted to someone who desperately needs it? This rich experiment in active, compassionate community has changed us for the better. And 
Huge shout out to 
“As others have posted, I am amazed at the many responses to my request posted on our 
“Hello. My sister is coming for a visit from Illinois soon. She is handicapped with multiple sclerosis and cannot walk more than a few steps. We have lovely gardens we wish she could see close up. In Illinois, she uses her golf cart extensively and we wish to provide her one here for a week. If anyone has a golf cart we can use, we would be happy to rent it. Thanking you in advance for your help.”
“I want to thank all of the people who responded to my need for a drying rack. I am all set but am always amazed that so many people respond and are so generous with ideas and products. What did we do before 
“Looking to buy or borrow a used refrigerator or dorm-size fridge for up to 3 weeks while we wait for our new one to arrive. Thanks!!”
“We’ve discovered that our newly-adopted White Cream Golden Retriever is terrified of thunderstorms, This is the second thunderstorm season we’ve had Lillie and we’re brainstorming ways to reduce her anxiety without putting her in a stupor for 24 hours! I’m not against medicating my dog when it’s in her best interest, but we have considered her history of growing up in a cage in a puppy-mill in Alabama. Long story short, we thought of borrowing a large crate to see if that makes her feel more safe… Thanks!”
“I know it’s kind of last minute… but does anyone have a child’s booster seat we could borrow for Sunday through Tuesday? We have friends from Germany visiting with their six-year-old daughter. Thanks for any leads on the matter.”