The FullCircles Mission…
To reduce our individual and collective environmental footprints on our home, the Earth by actively, energetically and positively promoting values of sustainability and conservation of our planet’s resources.

Based on the old adage that “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”, FullCircles’s goal is to optimize the use of  ”stuff” in our society; to reduce the flow of trash into our landfills; by connecting people with unwanted “stuff” to frugal people enthusiastically embracing the use of previously owned, second hand free “stuff”.

Anyone looking to give away or acquire an item is welcome at FullCircles, where everything is absolutely free! FullCircles encourages charitable organizations to post their needs, giving confidence to a donor that the item is actually needed locally, and is not going to just collect dust on a thrift store shelf.

About the FullCircles Team:

Not one paid employee, FullCircles relies entirely on a dedicated team of volunteers.  Here they are:

ERIC:
Eric “Gub” Snyder, Canadian freecycling elder, brought freecycling to Ottawa in Feb/04;  Founded FullCircles.org (Canada) in 2007.  Retired HR Exec / HR/Communications Consultant; Pres/CEO, Snyder Thorn Enterprises, Inc.; TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Ottawa Chapter Board – retired 2010; environmental activist; calendar wonk; amateur genealogist; freecycler; Canadian snowbird; egs.amplify.com; Facebook.  ”I think of myself as a practicing Freecologist promoting freecycling worldwide.”

KELLY:
Kelly Wilson:  Community Liaison and Event Coordinator for Full Circles Ottawa; creator of Ottawa’s Really Really Free Market, a concept modified into a ReUse to Recycle event from the American based Really Really Free Market in San Francisco.

Extreme freecycler and dumpster diver as well as garbage picker extraordinaire; believer in curbside shopping (every Sunday night is a smorgasbord at the Garbage Boutique;-).  Kelly’s entire house is an experiment in shabby chic…well maybe more shabby than chic but EVERYTHING WAS FREE OR ALMOST FREE!  Kelly says… “I actively gift as I find so much and I also have the benefit of getting what I need from our groups when I really need it!”

Worked in the Air Conditioning industry; formally trained Intellectual Property Clerk  (Landlord and Tenant representation in her community.  Kelly sells recyclables (garbage from the side of the road) for additional part time income and was an antique dealer for more than 15 years.

What can we say, KELLY LOVES JUNK!

WINN:
I’m one of the older members in our group; I was born during WWII  and it seems that reusing/passing on to others, etc. has always been my way-of-life.  I remember my Mother sewing underpants for my sister and myself out of what used to be, cotton flour sacks.  Imagine my pleasure when they introduced flour sacks with florals imprinted on them! When I was a young Mother I remember doing similar for my family; sewing with fabric from some of my clothing, unravelling a knitted item and reusing the wool, cooking from scratch, making quilts etc. And today?  Even though my family is grown I’m still living the same way;  in the summertime you can often come into my garden and help yourselves to perennials too! I’m an active volunteer within the Ottawa Community, music, arts, Out of the Cold Program, The Well etc. and as time allows, I help out as a Moderator within our group.

SARA D:
I am new to the team, but have been with FullCircles for three years as an active member. I am the official FullCircles Blogmeister. I am pretty excited about that! I had intended to go to University as a joint English/History major but decided after I got my grades that I had better rethink that path… so I took Cultural Anthropology and I loved it. It is the study of humanity, which may seem broad but it really does relate to a lot of situations in life. I love to find treasures at thrift stores, antique markets, and online. I am always hunting for deals and unique old things. I come by it honestly; my grandparents were antique dealers (my Grandpa has his own Museum outside of Tillsonburg), my father is a master Yard Saler, and I have an uncle in the salvage business. One could say I have a hard time letting things go. But I don’t mind giving things to a good home that I have found for them on FullCircles!

ANDREW:
Andrew Trusty, founder of TrashNothing (http://trashnothing.com/).  Andrew doesn’t live in Ottawa but,  just south, in Toronto.  Says Andrew… “I’ve been working on TrashNothing for a little over two years now, full-time for the last year.  Trashnothing is a new web interface for free recycling groups that works on top of existing groups on Yahoo Groups. “ The most recent thing to come out of TrashNothing was the mobile interface (http://m.trashnothing.com/).  Andrew has plans for a lot of other improvements and features and he always like hearing ideas and feedback so feel free to email him.

SARA M:
Student, Carleton University; Lives in Ottawa, Ontario; Graduate – Branson High (Branson, MO)

MANUEL Costa:
Retired from Bombardier (Proj. Manager); MBA, McGill University; Lives in Ottawa, Ontario; Member – City of Ottawa Environmental Advisory Committee; Board member – TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Ottawa Chapter.
Manuel’s Facebook Page

BRIAN:
Chief Technical Office Royal Canadian Legion; Studied at Carleton University; Lives in Aylmer, QC

CATHY:
I am a first time grandmother, mother of three young adults, 2 cats and a spoiled dog. I have been a member of fullcircles for about 2 years now and have really enjoyed the experience. So much so that I have talked friends and family members into participating with me and they are now telling their friends. I am a pretty straightforward kind of person and have always believed in networking and sharing of things and ideas, working as a member of a community. It is one of the richest experiences that you can have. I volunteered for the Really Really Free Market last year with my daughter, baby grand daughter and boyfriend. We really enjoyed the company and the activity itself and are looking forward to June 4th to do it all again.

TAMMY:Leader: Brockville (Ontario) Freecycle Group; Associate Editor/Contributing Writer at Brocknews.ca; Scrapbooking & Rubber Stamping hobbyist; Went to Como Lake Secondary High School; Lives in Cardinal, Ontario