'NEW YEAR, NEW ME' FREE STORE
It’s like thrifting, but better – everything is free! You can donate items, too!
Start the new semester off sustainably at Patriot Packout’s ‘New Year, New Me’ Free Store. You can get items you need, save money, and give back by donating items to support fellow Patriots!
Everyone can participate in this community-based initiative to decrease waste and associated environmental harms while addressing basic needs insecurity.
How it Works:
- Attend once or stop by a few times – bring your friends!
- Choose from any of the items you need or want for free!
- Donations are accepted, but are not required!
When: 11AM - Midnight on Wednesday, January 29 and Thursday, January 30
Where: The Ridge (between Blue Ridge and Sandbridge, near Starbucks Northern Neck)
PATRIOT PACKOUT DOCUMENTARY
The 'Patriot Packout: Eco-Art in Action' documentary will be publicly released in January 2025! Please check back for updates.
VOLUNTEER WITH PATRIOT PACKOUT
Patriot Packout (PPO) is Mason’s annual end-of-the year donation initiative. PPO provides on-campus donation resources for all students, faculty, and staff affected by move-out. PPO diverts usable items from trash and redistributes them to Mason students, faculty/staff, and community members who can benefit from them. All Mason Patriots can donate to PPO at the end of each spring semester.
Sign up via our Sustainability Volunteer Portal - create a free account, browse volunteer opportunities, and sign up for as many as you would like!
BECOME A PATRIOT PACKOUT VOLUNTEER!
Use the form below to share anonymous feedback on your experience with Patriot Packout 2024 and help improve PPO next year!
ACCEPTED DONATIONS
Gently Used, Like-New, or New Items
“If you wouldn’t give it to a friend, don’t give it to PPO.”
- Bikes, Scooters, and Skateboards
- Bring to PPO outdoor donation drop-off or to Mason Parking and Transportation's Bike to Mason events. If you can't, please email [email protected] a photo of your bike and its bike rack location.
- Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories
- All items must be clean and bagged separately. NO used undergarments, socks, or unwashed clothing.
- Unopened, Unexpired Non-Perishable Food and Toiletry Supplies
- Food and toiletry supplies must be unused/unopened and not expired or close to expiration.
- Textbooks, Testing Supplies, and Art Supplies
- See 'Art Supply Sharing Closet' and 'First Gen+ Center' lists below.
- Small Appliances and Electronics
- Fragile items must be boxed separately. Bring e-waste to drop-off locations.
- Small Furniture and Equipment
- Mirrors must be unbroken, and all furniture must be assembled.
Select donations that Patriot Packout partners need to support Mason Patriots are included below:
All transportation-related donations benefit Mason Parking and Transportation's bike and scooter programs (e.g., Fall Bike Sale).
- Bicycles
- Scooters
- Skateboards/Longboards
All items must be clean and in like-new or gently used condition.
-
Chest binders of all sizes
-
Sports-bras of all sizes
-
Skirts of all sizes
-
XL+ sized clothing of all styles/items
NO expired/near expired items will be accepted.
All toiletry and food supplies must be unopened/unused.
* Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and other dietary restriction options are particularly encouraged!
- Pasta and Sauce
- Rice (instant or regular)
- Canned Tuna, Chicken, Salmon
- Mac N Cheese
- Hormel Compleats
- Mixed Vegetables
- Soups
- Cereal and Other Breakfast Items
- Instant Oatmeal
- Healthy Snacks (crackers, nuts, granola bars)
- Peanut Butter/Jelly
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Deodorant
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Body Wash/Bar Soap
- Period Products
- Shaving Cream
- Lotion
- Hand Soap
- Toothpaste
- Floss
- Laundry Detergent
* Please box all small/fragile supplies before donating.
- Magazines/Scrap Paper
- Printer Paper
- Writing Utensils
- Journals/Notebooks
- Paperclips
- Binders
- Yarn and Needlework
- Fabric and sewing materials (not actual clothing, but raw materials)
- Jewelry and beading
- Sheets of Vinyl
- Epoxy Resin molds and Equipment (no resin, related materials only)
- Seasonal Decor
- Gift Wrapping & Other Storage
- Dried or Fake Floral
- Other supplies that can be repurposed for art
All testing supplies should be unopened/unused.
* Please box all small/fragile supplies before donating.
- Textbooks
- Scantrons
- Bluebooks
- Notebooks
- No. 2 Pencils
* Please box all small/fragile supplies before donating.
- Tools (drill bits, screwdrivers, etc.)
- Robotics tools or components
- PCB boards
- Digital cameras/old cameras, lenses, and other A/V equipment (to support Media Lab)
- High-quality raw materials (ex. construction materials like wood, metal sheeting, etc.)
DONATION DROP OFF LOCATIONS (CHECK BACK FOR 2025 UPDATES)
RESIDENCE HALL LOBBY DROP-OFF:
- Check back for 2025 updates!
OUTDOOR DROP-OFF (Bike Donations Accepted):
- Check back for 2025 updates!
PATRIOT PANTRY FOOD DRIVE:
- Hosted by Parking and Transportation, visit their PPO Donation Drive webpage here!
- Parking Services Offices at Fairfax, Mason Square (Arlington), and SciTech Campuses
BIKE DONATIONS: at Bike to Mason (check back for updates)
- SciTech Bike to Mason: Spring 2025
- Fairfax Bike to Mason: Spring 2025
- Mason Square Bike to Mason: Spring 2025
RESIDENCE HALL LOBBY DROP-OFF:
- Beacon Hall
If you are commuting or traveling to the Fairfax Campus, we encourage folks to utilize Fairfax donation drop-off points as well.
FAIRFAX RESIDENCE HALL LOBBY DROP-OFF:
- Check back for 2025 updates!
FAIRFAX OUTDOOR DROP-OFF:
- Check back for 2025 updates!
PATRIOT PANTRY FOOD DRIVE:
- Hosted by Parking and Transportation, visit their PPO Donation Drive webpage here!
- Parking Services Offices at Fairfax, Mason Square (Arlington), and SciTech Campuses
BIKE DONATIONS: Bike to Mason (check back for updates)
- SciTech Bike to Mason: Spring 2025
- Fairfax Bike to Mason: Spring 2025
- Mason Square Bike to Mason: Spring 2025
RESIDENCE HALL LOBBY DROP-OFF:
- G.T. Halpin Family Living and Learning Community
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Early donation initiatives began in 2003, when Mason Facilities staff members collected clothing items and transported them to the Salvation Army to divert them away from move-out trash bins.
In 2007, the Office of Community Relations (now the Office of Community and Local Government Relations), began and officially named Patriot Packout (PPO) as a program to give students who were moving out of their residence halls an outlet to donate their unwanted clothes, appliances and unopened food items to local charities. Tasked with creating community engagement opportunities for the university, the Community Relations team researched programs at other universities and adapted the various move-out programs they found to fit George Mason University and the needs of the community. The Office of Community Relations collaborated with George Mason’s Facilities Management and University Sustainability teams gaining support and partners in PPO.
In 2010, the program won the Green Carpet Award from the Virginia Recycling Association in the category of Outstanding New Age Recycling Performance. Since 2010, PPO has diverted 123,208 pounds of reusable goods, electronics/appliances, non-perishable food supplies, and toiletries through not-for-profit donations!
Past donation partners included on-campus resources like Mason’s Patriot Pantry, the Trans Clothing Closet, and the Art Supply Sharing Closet. However, most PPO donations were typically distributed off-campus through partnerships with non-profit organizations like Food for Others, Goodwill, the Salvation Army, AmVets, and the Clock Tower Thrift Shop.
The PPO initiative was officially moved over to be led by University Sustainability in 2014. In 2023, University Sustainability launched the Patriot Packout Planning Committee to expand PPO’s impact on campus, with the goal of prioritizing the free redistribution of donated goods to the Mason community and those in need.
PPO Benefits:
- Reduces the waste disposal of usable items and transfers them to folks in need.
- Donates food and toiletry supplies to students through the Patriot Pantry and other Mason resources.
- Provides a safe donation and disposal alternative for hazardous and universal waste items.
- Reduces improper dumping of broken appliances and furniture and pollution, protecting Housing and Residence Life and Facilities staff members.
- Decreases waste hauling and disposal costs while reducing staff time spent on waste removal and monitoring.
- Streamlines the move-out process by providing students and families with a resource to donate items.
- Provides service-learning and civic engagement opportunities for all participants.