Meet safely
When you arrange a handoff, choose a public, well-lit place such as a police department safe-exchange zone. Meet during the day, bring someone with you when you can, and trust your instincts. If a situation feels off, walk away.
Protect your privacy
Do not share your home address, your child's school, financial details, or other sensitive information in messages. Share only what you need to arrange a pickup, and keep the first meeting in public. We never show your exact address to anyone.
Be kind and honest
Treat people the way you would want a stranger to treat your family. Describe items honestly. Show up when you say you will, or send a quick message if plans change. This is a community built on goodwill.
What to list, and what happens if an item arrives damaged
List things you would be glad to receive. Clean, whole, and working. Worn or imperfect items are welcome here, because a used coat that still keeps a child warm is worth passing on. The rule is simply that the listing has to match the item: if there is a stain, a tear, a missing piece, or something that no longer works, say so in the details. A family may drive an hour to pick it up.
After a giver marks an item picked up, the family who claimed it has 48 hours to tell us if it arrived damaged or was not what the listing described. A report has to include a photo, so no one can be penalized on someone's word alone, and a real person reviews every one. Reports that do not hold up are dismissed, and dismissing a report clears it from the giver's record right away.
- Three upheld reports pause posting for one month
- Six pause posting for six months
- Nine close the account
Being paused from posting does not stop you from claiming items your family needs. If you think a report was unfair, reply to the email we send you and a person will look at it with you.
What is not allowed
- Harassment, threats, hate speech, or bullying of any kind
- Selling, reselling, trading for money, or soliciting
- Asking for money, donations, or personal financial information
- Sharing anything illegal, unsafe, or inappropriate
- Contacting anyone for reasons unrelated to sharing a posted item
- Sharing or requesting contact with or about minors
Reporting and blocking
Every conversation has a Report and a Block button. Blocking stops someone from messaging you. Reporting sends the conversation to our team to review. If you ever feel unsafe, block first, then report.
How we respond
A real person reviews reports. We may remove content, close conversations, and suspend or permanently remove accounts that break these rules, at our discretion and without notice, to keep families safe. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.