Share Fair

Fall Share Fair

Fall Share Fair

The Solidarity Share Fair is returning in November with a large in-person indoor event!

The purpose of the Share Fair is to connect people with resources, services, and each other in a convenient and fun way. The fair will be providing free resources and services from local organizations and community groups to unhoused and working class members of the community. There will be food, live music, games, and a chance to know other Eugene organizations and folks in the community – and it’s all free!

When: Saturday, November 9th
Time: noon-4pm (Mask required noon-1pm)
Where: Trauma Healing Project (631 E 19th Ave Bldg B)

 

** Want to help out? Donations, volunteers, and services needed! **
Donation info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/sharefair/
Volunteer info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/share-fair-volunteer/
Services info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/share-fair-services/
Contact: sharefair@neighborhoodanarchists.org
More info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/sharefair/

Share Fair! Summer 2024

Share Fair! Summer 2024

The Solidarity Share Fair is returning in August with a large in-person outdoor event!

The purpose of the Share Fair is to connect people with resources, services, and each other in a convenient and fun way. The fair will be providing free resources and services from local organizations and community groups to unhoused and working class members of the community. There will be food, live music, games, and a chance to know other Eugene organizations and folks in the community – and it’s all free!

When: Sunday, August 18th
Time: noon-4pm
Where: Park Blocks (8th and Oak)

** Want to help out? Donations, volunteers, and services needed! **
Donation info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/sharefair/
Volunteer info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/share-fair-volunteer/
Services info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/share-fair-services/
Contact: sharefair@neighborhoodanarchists.org

More info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/sharefair/

Share Fair Report Back!

The Neighborhood Anarchist Collective (NAC) hosted its second Solidarity Share Fair of 2024 on May 19. Share Fair has been an ongoing NAC project for 6 years, with events as often as monthly and currently about every 3 months, as volunteer availability allows. This May was one of the largest and most successful Share Fairs to date. An estimated 400 participants enjoyed live music, hot food, haircuts, and more– all completely free of charge. Participants brought donations as well, so a rotating selection of clothes and other items were available. Longtime donor Run Hub Northwest provided shoes, and a grant allowed NAC to purchase dozens of tents. Hundreds of donated tarps were also available, along with portable stoves.

Other organizations joined NAC in providing services to the community. HIV Alliance provided HIV testing and harm reduction supplies; first aid materials were available onsite and to take, along with natural remedies provided by Herbalists Without Borders. In addition to burgers, hot dogs, and sides provided by NAC, 86 Hunger brought their own food truck, and Dark Pine donated coffee. A volunteer was available for mending and altering clothing, and Housing and Neighborhood Defense provided information on tenant rights.

While goods and services aimed at basic survival are prioritized, there are options to meet other needs as well. A masseuse set up a table under the shade trees, peacekeepers were available for deescalation as needed and a listening ear, and live music and lawn games kept the atmosphere festive.

Solidarity Share Fair embodies the principle of mutual aid. For anarchists, this means a form of meeting each other’s needs free from hierarchies or stipulations. Participants and organizers alike are able to give what they can and take what they need. At Share Fair, no one has to prove that they need resources or agree with NAC’s ideals in order to get access to them. Needing something alone is reason enough to receive it. If this is your vision for the world, or even for an afternoon, please sign up to volunteer or donate at https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/sharefair/

The next Share Fair is going to be August 18th at the Park Blocks!

Share Fair May 19th!

Share Fair May 19th!

The purpose of the Share Fair is to connect people with resources, services, and each other in a convenient and fun way. The fair will be providing free resources and services from local organizations and community groups to unhoused and working class members of the community. There will be food, live music, games, and a chance to know other Eugene organizations and folks in the community – and it’s all free!

When: Sunday, May 19th, 2024
Where: Eugene Park Blocks (8th & Oak)
Time: 12pm-4pm

 

** Want to help out? Donations, volunteers, and services needed! **

Care and Community at the Share Fair

This article was written by UO journalism student Nate Wilson who attended and wrote about the Share Fair for a class project. We think it really captures the spirit of the Share Fair and so we wanted to share it more widely! (With Nate’s permission of course.) 

Eugene, Ore. — Hundreds of Eugene’s unhoused and lower-income residents gathered at the Solidarity Share Fair to restock on essential supplies and recover from the ice storm that froze much of the Willamette Valley last week.

Held at the Unitarian Universalist Church and facilitated by the Neighborhood Anarchist Collective (NAC) since 2017, the Share Fair provides free resources to those in need: everything from blankets and kids toys to tampons and alcohol-fueled lamps. NAC, a local organization devoted to community support, nonviolence and the decentralization of power, believes direct action like the Share Fair is critical to helping marginalized people in Eugene, which, as of 2019, has the highest per capita rate of houselessness in the country.

The Share Fair gave Eric, an unhoused person who sheltered at the nearby Lane Events Center during the ice storm, a necessary respite. “I’m still recovering from it physically,” said Eric. “I’m just so sore. My hip is killing me and I’m limping, but I know I don’t have any broken bones.”

Full of warm enchiladas and with a bag of new socks in tow, Eric planned to heal his aching body with a Thai massage, one of many free services offered by the Share Fair alongside first-aid assistance, bike repair and haircuts.

Volunteer Coordinator for NAC, Yarrow, worried about those who couldn’t make it to one of Eugene’s warming centers when the weather was much worse. “I almost feel like this event is too late,” said Yarrow. “People are only now getting the things they could’ve used a couple of weeks ago.

Tim, the executive director of the Eugene-Springfield Tenant Association, shared a similar concern. According to Tim, the ice storm forced more people into houselessness largely because of fires sparked by electrical malfunctions. Although the tenant association didn’t receive an influx of calls during the ice storm, people who did call faced much more dire circumstances than normal.

Finally free from slippery and cold conditions, however, locals returned to the Share Fair with enthusiasm. Kathy, a first-timer who proudly adorned a University of Oregon (UO) visor, arrived early to capitalize on the dozen tables loaded with donated clothing. Scoring new boots, clippers and two bags of clothes, Kathy quickly filled her seated walker.

As Kathy browsed the clothing tables, several others sat to appreciate the smooth folk music echoing across the church’s central chamber. While listening and enjoying food served by volunteers from UO’s Alpha Phi Omega, people reconnected with familiar faces and talked to new ones. The Share Fair isn’t just about restocking, but also building community.

In order to foster community, NAC prioritizes inclusivity — all are welcome, no questions asked. Comparing the Share Fair to a similar initiative in Florence, Marci and her daughter saw a stark contrast. Marci remarked at the lack of stigma surrounding the unhoused and lower-income people at the Share Fair, and at the consideration organizers demonstrated.

“Everyone here is friendly and relaxed — you just get a really warm vibe,” Marci said. “I would definitely come back.”

Both Eric and Kathy plan to as well.

The next Share Fair will take place in late April. When mainstream pathways of care are inaccessible or break down, as they did during Oregon’s recent ice storm, events like the Share Fair become even more important.

“What we’re doing is actually going to people,” said Yarrow. “We’re building a community through solidarity, especially for people who have been pretty abused by the system.”

Share Fair January 27th!

Share Fair January 27th!

The purpose of the Share Fair is to connect people with resources, services, and each other in a convenient and fun way. The fair will be providing free resources and services from local organizations and community groups to unhoused and working class members of the community. There will be food, live music, games, and a chance to know other Eugene organizations and folks in the community – and it’s all free!

When: Saturday, January 27th, 2024
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church (1685 W 13th Ave, Eugene) SE entrance
Time: 1pm-4pm

Masks encouraged! With a special masks required Share Fair 12-1pm,

** Want to help out? Donations, volunteers, and services needed! **
Share Fair August 26th!

Share Fair August 26th!

The purpose of the Share Fair is to connect people with resources, services, and each other in a convenient and fun way. The fair will be providing free resources and services from local organizations and community groups to unhoused and working class members of the community. There will be food, live music, games, and a chance to know other Eugene organizations and folks in the community – and it’s all free!
When: Saturday, August 26th, 2023
Where: Monroe Park (10th and Monroe)
Time: noon-4pm (Setup 11am-noon, cleanup 4-5pm)
** Want to help out? Donations, volunteers, and services needed! **
Solidarity Share Fair Jan 28th!

Solidarity Share Fair Jan 28th!

The Solidarity Share Fair is returning January 28th with a large in-person indoor event as we did in the pre-pandemic days!

The purpose of the Share Fair is to connect people with resources, services, and each other in a convenient and fun way. The fair will be providing free resources and services from local organizations and community groups to unhoused and working class members of the community. There will be food, live music, games, and a chance to know other Eugene organizations and folks in the community – and it’s all free!

When: Saturday, January 28th, 2023
Where: Trinity United Methodist Church (440 Maxwell Rd)
Time: noon-4pm (Setup 11am-noon, cleanup 4-5pm)

** Want to help out? Donations, volunteers, and services needed! **
Donation info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/sharefair/
Volunteer info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/share-fair-volunteer/
Services info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/share-fair-services/
Contact: sharefair@neighborhoodanarchists.org

More info: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/sharefair/

The Share Fair is Back!

The Share Fair is Back!

The Solidarity Share Fair is returning August 21st with a large in-person outdoor event as we did in the pre-pandemic days! 
The purpose of the Share Fair is to connect people with resources, services, and each other in a convenient and fun way. The fair will be providing free resources and services from local organizations and community groups to unhoused and working class members of the community. There will be food, live music, games, and a chance to know other Eugene organizations and folks in the community – and it’s all free!
When: Sunday, August 21st, 2022
Where: Monroe Park (10th and Monroe)
Time: 2-6pm (Setup 1-2pm, cleanup 6-7pm)
Our event aims to go beyond the experience of handing someone a sandwich when they are hungry, we create a space where people are welcomed to join in community. We provide music, haircuts, massage, bike repair, resume support, first aid, warm meals and empathy to folks who are often pushed away.  Additionally, we offer the opportunity to speak with representatives from health care, counseling, and housing services. Through building connections and empowering guests to get involved and volunteer, we are changing the dynamic of our neighborhoods. We choose to lead by example, making an effort to give to others in kind and respectful ways. We rescue food, clothing, shoes, toiletries, backpacks, sleeping bags/camping gear, and much more from various locations to then redistribute to people in need. With more and more of our neighbors being effected by the housing crisis and food insecurity, we need events such as the Share Fair now, more than ever.

Events such as the share fair are necessary because capitalism is failing people. Those who don’t conform to the dominant economic model are discarded by society and the government is unable to provide the sort of care we can provide for each other. One of the principles of anarchism is that members of a community see what needs to be done and take responsibility for doing it themselves. In that spirit, Share Fair is organized by the consensus model; no one leads or follows, instead, all work together toward a common goal. We hope to set the example to others, to show that it’s possible to take action without the government and to cooperate without hierarchy while still being effective (or being more effective).

Want to help out? Donations, volunteers, and services needed!

Share Fair on Pause

Hello everyone!

We wanted to give an update on the status of the Share Fair for the new year.

As the Covid pandemic began Share Fair was forced to adapt in form away from being the creation of a social space in which people could share goods; services; and, most importantly, presence to a more mobile but disconnected mutual aid project. Mobile distribution and, eventually, the pods functioned as a way of getting needed supplies to members of the community most effected by the threat of Covid and the city’s draconian policies but never really allowed for the communal spirit that Share Fair was originally intended to create. While the distribution of supplies is important and, fortunately, continues with many groups in the community the shift from community building to supply logistics was a strain on many organizers involved resulting in burn out for many involved.

Reflection on this burnout, what we needed as organizers, and where we felt able to invest time and energy led to the decision to put Share Fair on pause until we can get back to something more in line with its original form and intent. What does that mean? There won’t be any Share Fair meetings or distribution events for the near future. There has been excitement about a possible May Day event that would be more in line with the classic form of Share Fair as community building event and we’re going to look at that as a possible soft reboot on Share Fair. If the energy and spirit of May Day demonstrate the feasibility of bringing Share Fair back in its more original form, we’ll meet again to assess what that could look like and hopefully have joyous news for y’all on that front (world events allowing!). If people are interested in organizing for the May Day event itself you can contact NAC to get involved.

All of the love and gratitude to everyone who has been involved in making Share Fair happen, whatever the shape!

<3
– Share Fair Team