The Sharing Tables

s. The items are free to anyone who needs them, with no proof required and no judgments. The motto for The Sharing Tables is: “Take what you need, and leave what you can, if you can.”

Just a few weeks after Mary Kate and Ruby started their Sharing Table, word began to spread through local media and on Facebook, and people started reaching out to Mary Kate asking how they could start their own Sharing Table. Since then, a total of 53 Sharing Tables have opened, most of them on Long Island, one in Poughkeepsie, one near Albany, one near Binghamton, one near Syracuse, and four in Los Angeles. Some of those Sharing Tables have since closed either temporarily or permanently for a variety of reasons, but we still continue to hear from people who want to start Sharing Tables, and our numbers are continuing to grow. One source of growth has been a partnership with Binghamton University’s Alumni Association, which sent an email to more than 90,000 of its alumni asking them to start Sharing Tables. So far, three Binghamton alums have opened Sharing Tables. The Sharing Tables has also partnered with Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE), founded in 1977, which benefits and proudly supports more than 4,000 individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injury. Clients of FREE assist the Sharing Tables with ensuring that donated items are delivered to the various Sharing Tables on Long Island. If you’re interested in starting your own Sharing Table, please contact Mary Kate Tischler, founder of the Sharing Tables, at 516-784-7879. She will happily walk you through the simple set-up process, share tips and lessons learned, and answer any questions you may have.