Ever heard of the Buy Nothing Project? Since its 2013 launch, this worldwide gift economy platform has grown to include a whopping 6.5 million members across 450,000 communities — and Asheville is part of the network.

It all starts with a local Facebook group where individuals can ask for a product or service, give items away, lend or share with community members, or simply share gratitude within their community — there is no buying, selling, bartering, or money exchange for items or services.

The program has also recently launched an app, which you can download via the Apple or Google Play store.

So what’s the catch? There is none. The project solely exists in true helping-hand fashion. For example: if you have an old computer monitor that you no longer need, you could post this item in the Buy Nothing group for your area — for free — and someone else in the community could claim it.

Want to get in on the action? There are currently three Buy Nothing Facebook groups in the Asheville area. Each group, which is divided geographically, has thousands of members with local volunteers serving as group admins.

Central Asheville | 564 members
West Asheville/Candler | 883 members
East Asheville | 216 members
Madison County | 2,000 members

For a complete list of North Carolina Buy Nothing groups, see here. Don’t see your residence included in the list? Learn how to become a community builder in your zip code.