‘I don’t need any money here!’ Free community market wins hearts in Saint John

More than 100 people came to the Saint John Community Coalition’s free community market at Haven Music Hall, days before Christmas.

“We wanted to have a space where people can come and take what they want with no strings attached. The main thing was to make people feel safe and welcome,” said Evan Miller, one of the organizers.

The coalition had circulated an open call for donations a few weeks prior to the event on Dec. 15. They had clothes, toys, books, and household items on display for the taking.

Food Not Bombs, a volunteer collective, provided free chili, bread and other baked goodies for the event. The food and raw materials were sourced through the generosity of community members, says Miller.

The event was full of heartwarming interactions. A visitor’s coat was taken, it had his wallet with his cards and ID. He was unhoused, so it would have been particularly disruptive. He was sure it had been deliberately stolen. The organizers made an announcement and it was brought back. Someone had assumed that it was part of the displayed items.

“It usually feels like the world is against you and everyone’s out to get you. It’s really nice to be proven wrong,” he said with relief.

Another visitor came in for warmth and asked for a cup of hot water, the organizers made him fruity tea. He was delighted to be able to have a space to be warm, talk to fellow community members and leave with more tea and food. “There is such an obvious lack of third spaces in our community, people can’t enter most places without paying. Shelters and libraries have resource limits”, said organizer Eleni Mavrogiannakis.

Some members of the community graciously agreed to play music and there a was delightful background of ukulele, guitar, accordion, harmonica and vocals sprinkled throughout the event.  The organizers also had zines on alternatives to policing, Indigenous land movements, the non-profit-industrial complex, food sovereignty and housing, for people to take.

“This is not charity, we’re not here to support systems that oppress people. It is important to inform and talk openly about that”, said organizer Rosella Mullin.

The location on Union Street was close to essential services and shelters. Some people walked in after hearing about the event from other people.

Haven owners and longtime friends Abigail Smith and Sidney Foy generously agreed to host the event.

“It was clear that this was to be a communal experience, and that is Haven’s essential purpose,” Smith said. “It was so celebratory! I loved that the mutual aid spirit was joyous; with music, with food! The whole thing had this bouncy upbeat energy, […] the event carved out a respite from a withholding world,” she added.

“This is way better than having to haggle at the Salvation Army,” said a visitor, implying how much more dignity comes from being a space without hierarchies.

Another visitor had just secured housing and was excited to find things for his new place. Quinn Carvey, another organizer recalled a woman saying that the man whose coat got taken “would never see it again” and wished she had stayed to see it returned with his wallet and other contents.

“I noticed that people came in guarded but left so much more open and connected. I saw lots of laughter. Kids picked out toys and showed them off. People came back with their friends,” Carvey said.

One person was worried that they’d be asked for ID, another said they thought “you’ll hand me a bible, and I can’t read.” Another visitor thought they’d be asked to register for something. People were worried about asking for an extra brownie or an extra bowl of chili but were given extras to go.

“When people are warm and fed and not worried about taking up space or being unwelcome, the conversation and laughter flows so easily. It’s pretty wild,” said Brit Rose, who was in the organizing team.

“People recognized the importance of events like this and said we should do more,” said Sarah Durham, another organizer.

“One man told me how cynical he felt about the world, I told him that we all feel the same, which is why we are here putting on this event. He said he felt very validated and seen,” she recalled.

New Brunswick has one of the lowest rates of social assistance in Canada. The province is also dealing with the compounding crisis of energy poverty, child poverty, housing affordability, health care and food insecurity. This is a result of years of provincial and federal policies that have prioritized corporate industry interests above the basic needs of people.

People were surprised by the generosity and expressed a sense of gratitude. “This is very telling of the society that we currently live in, if basic human decency comes as a shock,” Durham said.

“I really enjoyed connecting with fellow community members and the event gave me a lot of hope for the future of our city. I hope we can continue to take care of each other by doing more events like this,” she added.

Nomaan X is the Sanctuary Network Coordinator with the Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre, an organizer with the Saint John Community Coalition and Fredericton Palestine Solidarity, and teaches at University of New Brunswick, Saint John.