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If you need food, there’s a way to get help for free. Amanda Veasey from the Free Shop in Saxe wants people to know they can drop by at any time and pick up the donated food that’s available. 

Sometimes that’s tables of canned goods, everything from soup to black-eyed peas and baked beans. Right now they also have a lot of pasta and rice, as well as macaroni to share. With prices going up for a lot of necessities, Amanda and her husband Dave just wanted to make sure people know there’s a place to get help. 

Over the last three years, The Free Shop has been able to help with baby items, kids’ toys, shoes, purses, women’s clothing and tools, along with other items. Amanda and Dave like to go to Amish auctions, such as those at Hollering Hill Auctions, and bid on cheap tools and box lots. With the help of a mechanic who fixes tools that might be broken, they are able to offer those as well. 

Their rustic venue—a charming barn dating between the 1820s and 1890s—features tables set beneath open shelter where items are available during daylight. The setting offers an inviting, community-centered atmosphere.

Going back to the beginning

So what is the Saxe Free Shop? It was created through an act of kindness. Dave Veasey found himself facing unemployment twice during the early days of the pandemic. Forced to move, the Veasey family settled into Saxe during July of 2022, and that’s where the idea for their free shop initiative began. 

A neighbor knew the couple would need firewood for the approaching winter. To the couple’s surprise, the neighbor organized it so a huge dump truck full of wood came through and blessed them with more firewood than they knew what to do with. 

Not needing all the firewood, Amanda and Dave started putting out social media posts, inviting people to come and take some for themselves. All total, 21 people visited the couple during this past winter, picking up firewood as needed. With that came the question of what else does the community need and how could Amanda and Dave help provide it. 

Located at 6395 Saxkey Road, what started as sharing firewood has grown into a full-scale free store. The Free Shop distributes essentials ranging from groceries and baby items to clothing, tools, household goods, and even firewood in the fall and winter—all completely free and without requirement . Since its inception The Free Shop has donated “about $200,000 worth of goods” to those in need, according to Amanda. 

Not surprisingly, The Free Shop has seen daily visitors increase over time. What started as maybe 5 to 10 people each day turned into 15-20. Now, Amanda says the operation sees between 20 to 40 people on sunny days, sometimes up to 70.
And this is very much a community effort. Partners such as food banks and local volunteers have played a vital role in gathering and organizing supplies. 

“We have a Dollar General that donates, multiple thrift stores that help, a Food Lion that shares and a couple of food banks that participate too,” Amanda said. She pointed out that the Keysville library has donated a whole room of books to give away.

Free Shop takes the next steps

The Veaseys are not stopping with basic needs. Their next step for the project will be a bit larger in scale. 
“We want to purchase a small grocery store because there are none close by,” Amanda said. “We live in a food desert. The poor elderly people out here are living on $30 of food a month and then visiting multiple food banks to make it work.”

Charlotte County, and especially the area in and around Saxe, is identified as a food desert, meaning that residents have limited access to healthy food options. That’s accurate, as a foodbanks.org map shows 13%-17 of residents labeled as “food insecure.” 

Now, to be clear, food insecurity doesn’t mean no options exist. It does however mean there are obstacles in the way. After all, it’s hard to plan on a weekly grocery run if you have no vehicle and no one to give you a ride. At that point, you just take what you can get. It’s also harder to eat healthy when there’s no grocery store nearby. 

“I want to get more cheap, healthy, organic, non-gmo food out here for everyone,” Amanda said. 

That project is in the beginning stages, as the family learns what they need to try and locate, then purchase a building. Beyond that, they also want to create a nearby park, but that’s very much in the future goals category right now.
“Lots of dreams in the works!” Amanda said.

How you can help

If someone wants to get involved with the free shop, there are opportunities to do that. First off, you can donate items in good condition, anything from food to clothes, household basics, tools or firewood. Second, you can volunteer, doing anything from sorting donations to folding clothes or helping with fundraising. Or third, you can help by just spreading the word about the operation to your neighbors, local businesses and community groups.

As for what kind of donations are needed? All items are needed but some are frequently requested.

“We get a lot of requests for toilet paper, hygiene items, lawn care items, fishing poles, food, baby items and kids clothes,” Amanda said. “Couches and beds are frequently requested as are phone cases. Shoes are taken quickly!”

If you’re in Charlotte County, a visit—or an act of support—could help propel a grassroots movement that’s quietly transforming lives. For more information on The Free Shop, call (434) 454-0943.