In a neighborhood where tech, traffic, and rapid growth can make connections feel fleeting, a quiet movement is helping Central Austin residents build meaningful relationships — one gifted item at a time.
Buy Nothing–style groups, sometimes called Gifting With Integrity, depending on where you live, operate on Facebook as community-based “gift economies,” where neighbors give and receive household items, baby gear, books, clothing, food staples, and more, always free of charge.
For Michelle Cheng, the admin of the Central Austin group, the appeal was immediate when she discovered it during the pandemic.
“Buy Nothing kind of became my favorite COVID discovery because I loved the community so much,” she said.
She describes the group as intentionally small and neighborhood-based, with about 1,700 members — large for a gifting group, but still rooted in just a few zip codes.
“Everybody in the group is supposed to be from a very small physical area,” Cheng said. The goal, she added, is connection, sustainability, and easy pickup.
Cheng has seen neighbors step up during crises, including during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, when members offered food, heat, and power to strangers who happened to live nearby.
“I saw a lot of really sweet community-oriented things where people were offering electricity… or saying ‘I just made a big pot of soup, would anyone like some hot food?’” she said.
The groups also provide emotional support, especially for members facing significant life changes. Beth Felker, a member, quietly used her gifting group to gather supplies as she prepared to adopt her daughter.
“There’s this virtual but really kind network of women and moms taking care of each other,” she said. Neighbors offered not just items, but encouragement, advice, and comfort. “They’re giving me care… they’re sharing that with me.”
For Amanda M., the draw is both environmental and personal.
“It always feels so comforting when you make a request, and seven or ten people in the community say, ‘Yes, I can help.’ It’s really heartwarming, and it makes me feel like I matter,” she said.
She added that seeing items get a second life keeps usable goods out of landfills — and keeps her on Facebook. “I love being in this group, it’s the last thing that has me holding onto Facebook!”
Cheng says the ripple effect is simple but powerful: neighbors get to know one another again.
“Getting things I can use for free is so deeply lovely to me… and seeing them getting loved again is such a lovely cycle,” she said.
True to Austin’s keep-it-local spirit, gifting groups turn generosity into neighborly love — one porch pickup at a time.
“Getting things I can use for free is so deeply lovely to me… and seeing them getting loved again is such a lovely cycle.”