FALL INTO SUSTAINABILITY FAIR
WHEN: Thursday, October 29
POP-UP FREE STORE HOURS: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
WHERE: Wilkins Plaza - Southside
Registration will be required at the event.
Patriot Packout's pop-up Free Store at the Fall into Sustainability Fair is open to all George Mason University community members (students, staff, contracted workers, faculty, alumni, etc.). We CAN accept new and like-new donations during this event, and we encourage folks to swap with each other!
We will be periodically updating this page to provide additional academic year event details, including registration details for attending the upcoming Fall into Sustainability Fair. Please check back for more event information. Page last updated 9/17/2026.
Patriot Packout FAQs
University Sustainability’s Patriot Packout (PPO) program hosts recurring pop-up Free Store events throughout the year to meet its goals of 1) addressing basic needs insecurity within the George Mason community and 2) preventing useful items from ending up in the trash.
PPO prioritizes the free redistribution of donations to ensure that all George Mason community members can access items that help meet their everyday needs and wants.
Yes, all donations are available for free! Donated items at Patriot Packout's pop-up Free Stores are donated by George Mason students, staff, and faculty.
PPO's pop-up Free Stores are an on-campus resource for all George Mason Patriots! Items are free to remove the cost barrier to accessing any donations that folks may need or want.
- You’ll find new and gently used clothing, accessories, shoes, books, art and academic supplies, household items, small furniture, small appliances, electronics, and more at Patriot Packout's pop-up Free Store events!
Many George Mason Patriots experience basic needs insecurity, and we want the Summer Free Store to be a resource for all members of the university community! There are no limits, just keep in mind your fellow George Mason Patriots may want to use this resource.
Yes, you are welcome to come back and visit the Free Store again! There are no limits on the number of times you can visit during any pop-up Free Store event. We encourage you to invite others to visit Patriot Packout's Free Store with you!
This event is open to George Mason students, staff, faculty, and alumni only. Yes, you can bring people with you, and you are welcome to bring small groups (2-3 people maximum) of friends and family from outside the George Mason community.
- Family and friends of George Mason Patriots must be escorted by their George Mason Patriot at the event.
- If registration is required for the pop-up Free Store event, they should also fill out the registration form to attend.
ACADEMIC YEAR POP-UP EVENTS:
- We typically cannot set aside items for folks due to capacity limitations (ex. limited space, time limits for events, etc.)
- If you may need to come back later to pick up an item during the event time, please chat with the PPO team to see if we can support this!
POP-UP SUMMER FREE STORE:
If you may need to come back later in the day to transport items, we can set your items aside for you and you can pick them up during Summer Free Store hours that same day.
- Reserved items that are not picked up during Summer Free Store hours on the same day they were reserved will be returned to the Summer Free Store the next day, unless an alternative pickup window is arranged and confirmed in writing with a PPO staff member.
- There are 30-minute parking spots available at The Globe’s front entrance to support loading items. See Patriot Packout Summer 2026 Free Store Parking Directions here.
All donations at the Summer Free Store are available for free but select furniture/equipment items represent PPO's supplies for hosting these events!
- PPO supplies (i.e., program-purchased furniture/equipment items) are labeled “PPO PROPERTY” to help folks identify them. PPO Property is not available to attendees as donations.
Please ask a PPO staff/volunteer member about a furniture/equipment item you are interested in. Do NOT empty any furniture/equipment that is being used to store or display items.
- The PPO staff/volunteer will inform you if it is available and assist with next steps!
PPO's pop-up Free Store events are a community resource for George Mason Patriots. Many Patriots experience basic needs insecurity and may wish to use the pop-up Free Store. We don't ask visitors to justify what they select from a Free Store; however, we encourage visitors to remember others may need these items – if one visitor picks all of the computer monitors, there won’t be any available for other Free Store event attendees.
If we have multiple items of a specific category remaining once the Free Store closes, we may be able to provide you with those items. Please contact a Patriot Packout team member to express your interest during the event.
Unfortunately, we have limited staff and volunteer capacity and cannot assist you in loading or transporting donations outside of the Free Store event space.
We weigh the items you select from the Free Store to track the weight of donation categories we redistribute to George Mason students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other community members. This also helps us collect the total weight of donations made to Patriot Packout during its semester-based donation collection initiatives.
We use this data to evaluate and communicate Patriot Packout’s impact, and to improve resources and planning for future Free Store events – data helps us showcase our success and learn how we can make Patriot Packout even more impactful!
Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to wash every piece of clothing and every kitchenware item due to the volume of donations. We launder a portion of clothing, but we cannot clean all donated items!
Patriot Packout team members manually review every donation we receive for quality and cleanliness. Items that need to be cleaned before they’re displayed are cleaned. Items that are broken beyond repair or too unclean are appropriately disposed of.
We highly recommend and strongly encourage visitors to appropriately clean all items they select from the Summer Free Store before they are used.
ACADEMIC YEAR FREE STORES:
Yes! We accept donations at these events and encourage folks to swap with others.
Our Patriot Packout website and our email list are the best ways to stay updated about Patriot Packout events where we will accept donations during Academic Year 2026-2027:
- Visit our website: https://go.gmu.edu/PatriotPackout
- Email us at: [email protected] to submit your request to be added to the email list
SUMMER FREE STORE:
Unfortunately, we are not able to accept donations during Patriot Packout's Summer Free Store event.
Our Patriot Packout website and our email list are the best ways to stay updated about Patriot Packout events where we will accept donations during Academic Year 2026-2027:
- Visit our website: https://go.gmu.edu/PatriotPackout
- Email us at: [email protected] to submit your request to be added to the email list
After the Summer Free Store event concludes, Patriot Packout will transport all remaining items, including unclaimed reserved items, to secure storage provided by Facilities and Campus Operations. Those items are redistributed at a variety of Patriot Packout’s events, like Pop-Up Swap and Hops, mini-Free Stores, Free Stores, skill-sharing workshops, art making workshops, and more.
- Select donations are also donated to PPO’s donation partners based on their donation lists/need. Donation partners include both university resources (ex. Patriot Pantry, TCCR, Art Supply Sharing Cabinet, etc.) and community nonprofit partners who also redistribute items for free (ex. Food For Others and Serving Each Other).
Yes, Patriot Packout typically hosts events, workshops, and other activities about once per month during the academic year (August – May). We host select events, workshops, and activities during summer (June and July), like the Summer Free Store.
Our Patriot Packout website and our email list are the best ways to stay updated:
- Visit our website: https://go.gmu.edu/PatriotPackout
- Request to be added to our email list by selecting that option in the registration form for the Summer Free Store: https://go.gmu.edu/freestore
Yes! Our Patriot Packout website and our email list are the best ways to stay updated about PPO volunteering!
There are many opportunities to get involved with, contribute, and support PPO. In addition to volunteering, PPO offers custom student internship opportunities (for credit and not for credit) and part-time wage positions. Available part-time wage positions are advertised on Handshake (typically available starting in the Spring Semester or Summer). Students interested in internship opportunities can email [email protected]. We also partner and collaborate with various on-campus resources to host unique and impactful events, activities, and workshops.
- If you would like to share your own unique ideas for collaboration or participation in PPO, or if you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
The best place to find all Patriot Packout information is here on the University Sustainability website: https://go.gmu.edu/PatriotPackout
- Follow the University Sustainability office on Instagram @SUSTAINMason for updates.
- You can contact the PPO team with questions at [email protected]
PATRIOT PACKOUT VOLUNTEERING
Volunteer to collect, organize, and support Patriot Packout's free donation redistribution!
BECOME A PATRIOT PACKOUT VOLUNTEER!
PATRIOT PACKOUT ON-CAMPUS DONATION PARTNERS
Patriot Packout partners with a variety of on-campus resources that help George Mason Patriots meet their basic needs. To support their work, Patriot Packout redistributes a portion of donations it receives to these resources.
Below, we feature a list of current partners that are actively receiving donations from Patriot Packout. If you're interested in becoming a partner, please contact us at [email protected].
Parking and Transportation only accepts transportation-related donations during Patriot Packout's Spring Move-Out Donation Collection Initiative (April - May). They do NOT accept transportation-related donations except during specific time-delineated initiatives communicated to the university community.
All transportation-related donations benefit Mason Parking and Transportation's bike and scooter programs (e.g., Fall Bike Sale).
- Bicycles
- Scooters
- Skateboards/Longboards
The Trans Clothing Closet Resource (TCCR) is accepting new donations right now!
Please follow the Trans Clothing Closet Resource's new Instagram account for the most up-to-date information (or email them at [email protected]): GMU TCCR (@transclothingclosetresource)
NO expired/near expired items will be accepted.
NO opened/used items will be accepted.
* Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and other dietary restriction options are particularly encouraged! Visit the Patriot Pantry's webpage for more information.
Non-Perishable Food Supplies (bold = current needs):
- Healthy Snacks (individually wrapped)
- 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
- Peanut Butter/Jelly
Personal Hygiene Supplies (bold = current needs):
- Paper Towels
- Tissues
- Toilet Paper
- Body/Baby Wipes
- Travel Size Deodorant
- Cleaning Products (all types - unopened/new)
- Laundry Pods
- Dishwasher Pods
- Diapers
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Body Wash
- Period Products
- Shaving Cream/Razors
- Lotion
- Bar Soap
- Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
- Floss
* 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.)
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 152,000+ 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.