FALL INTO SUSTAINABILITY FAIR
WHEN: Thursday, October 29
FREE STORE HOURS: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
WHERE: Wilkins Plaza - Southside
REGISTRATION: go.gmu.edu/fallfair
Visit the Mason360 event page for more information (must be logged in to view)
Patriot Packout's Free Store at University Sustainability's Fall into Sustainability Fair is open to all George Mason 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 their items with each other! Donations are accepted but not required to participate.
Patriot Packout is participating in the celebration of Campus Sustainability Month, led by University Sustainability.
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 Store events 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.
Many George Mason Patriots experience basic needs insecurity, and we want PPO's Free Store events 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 Free Store event. We encourage you to invite others to visit Patriot Packout's Free Store with you!
Patriot Packout's events are 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 Free Store event, they should also fill out the registration form to attend.
We typically cannot set aside items for folks due to capacity limitations (ex. limited space, time limits for event spaces, 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!
All donations at PPO's Free Store events are available for free but select items are not donations since they are PPO's event supplies. These supplies are necessary for us to host our events (ex. clothing racks, some storage bins, etc.).
Please ask a PPO team member about a furniture/equipment item you are interested in before taking it, particularly if it's in-use at the event. Do NOT empty any furniture/equipment that is being used to store or display items. The PPO team can let you know if it is available and assist with next steps!
PPO's Free Store events are a community resource for all George Mason Patriots. Many George Mason Patriots experience basic needs insecurity and may wish to visit us at our Free Store events. We don't ask visitors to justify what they select from a Free Store event; however, we encourage visitors to remember others may need these items – if one visitor picks out all of the jackets, there won’t be any available for other Free Store visitors who may need one.
If we have multiple items of a specific category remaining once any of our Free Store events close, we may be able to provide you with those items. Please speak with a PPO team member to express your interest during the event and we'll work with you to determine if your request is possible.
Unfortunately, we have limited staff and volunteer capacity and cannot assist you with loading or transporting donations outside of the Free Store event space. In select circumstances, we may be able to provide assistance. Please speak with a PPO team member if you would like to request assistance.
At some Free Store events (ex. Summer Free Store), we weigh the items you select. We track the weight of donations that PPO redistributes 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 weight 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 all clothing and kitchenware due to the volume of donations and capacity limitations. We launder a portion of clothing, but we cannot clean all donated items!
Patriot Packout team manually review every donation we receive for quality and cleanliness. 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 our Free Store events before they are used.
ACADEMIC YEAR FREE STORES:
Yes! We accept donations at these events and encourage folks to swap donations with others.
Our Patriot Packout website, Mason360, and our email list are the best ways to stay updated about Patriot Packout events accepting donations during the academic year.
- 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:
We are not able to accept donations during Patriot Packout's Summer Free Store event at this time.
Our Patriot Packout website, Mason360, and our email list are the best ways to stay updated about Patriot Packout events accepting donations during the academic year.
- 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 a Free Store event ends, Patriot Packout transports all remaining items to a secure storage area provided by Facilities and Campus Operations. Those items are redistributed at a variety of Patriot Packout’s events, like future 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/needs. Donation partners include both university resources (ex. Patriot Pantry, TCCR, Art Supply Sharing Cabinet, etc.) and community nonprofit partners who also redistribute donations 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.
The Patriot Packout website, Mason360, and our email list are the best ways to stay updated:
- Visit our website: https://go.gmu.edu/PatriotPackout
- Email us at: [email protected] to submit your request to be added to the email list
Yes! Our Patriot Packout website, Mason360, 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 and internship positions. Available paid positions are advertised on Handshake (typically available starting in the Spring Semester or Summer Break), like the Facilities and Campus Operations Summer Internship Program. We also partner and collaborate with the Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning to host unique and impactful paid student fellowships.
- 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
- Make sure to check Mason360 for upcoming events
- Contact the PPO team with questions at [email protected]
PATRIOT PACKOUT VOLUNTEERING
PPO volunteer shifts are often available during the Spring Semester and Summer Break to help collect and organize donations, as well as to support free redistribution at our Free Store events!
Email the Patriot Packout team at [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering with us.
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 university resources.
Below, we feature a list of current partners that receive 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., Spring Bike Sale).
- Bicycles
- Scooters
- Skateboards/Longboards
The TCCR is not currently accepting donations.
- Please follow the TCCR's new Instagram account for the most up-to-date donation information: GMU TCCR (@transclothingclosetresource)
- You can also reach out to the LGBTQ+ Resources Center team at [email protected]
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:
- 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:
- 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 171,000+ 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.