A New Kind of Trading Post

Their Currency Is Kindness BY GABRIEL BATNIJ ’22

IT’S MARCH 2020. Rumors are swirling that the state will go into full lockdown. Supermarkets are flooded with people scouring mostly empty shelves. My family wants to buy some yeast, but all that is left is a two-pound bag and nobody needs that much yeast. I decide to share with my neighbors, who reciprocate by sharing their own superstoresized purchases. And then it dawns on me that if we all share our abundances, we can solve our scarcities and get through our crisis together.

That evening, I start a Facebook group called San Marino Trading Post for neighbors to give things to each other for free to help each other get through quarantine. A day later, when California shut down everything—when everyone was at home, feeling isolated, wanting to connect with society— people turned to Facebook, where they found San Marino Trading Post. Now, over a year later, there are about 1,100 people in the group.

In the beginning, the group focused on providing people with necessities. One immunodeficient cancer survivor asked for disinfecting wipes to keep herself safe and a local business provided them. And as necessities became more available, people started sharing everything, not only

things, such as books, puzzles, tools and thousands of pieces of backyard citrus, but also advice and expertise. One neighbor offered to mend clothing for others. People asked for the best local sandwich, which pest control company to use, how to fix their TV and they all received answers.

I had my doubts that people would share my “give without counting the cost” vision of the group, an Ignatian view of the world, but they quickly proved me wrong. No one was ashamed to give away what some might consider worthless. “The saying ‘One person’s trash is another’s treasure’ is certainly true, thanks to San Marino Trading Post,” one member wrote. From plastic forks to wine corks, everything offered is gratefully received by another neighbor.

On the flip side, people also offer each other items of great value, from computers to scooters. When members wanted to start selling items they had been giving away for free, I insisted that the group had started out free and would remain free. When someone gets something for free from a neighbor, they feel that they have been gifted and that creates a bond with the giver. These bonds are part of what strengthen communities. Furthermore, the receiver feels that they have to give something back by sheer human nature, and my group is fueled by that natural instinct.

We created a space where people who were gifted something felt a duty to help the community that had helped them. People were vulnerable in this time of crisis and in that vulnerability came the unification of the community. A united community means a more resilient community because people can depend on one another.

We all operate under the illusion that there is scarcity in the world, but as a community, we have each other to spread our abundances. In the same way that neighbors can help each other through groups like mine, we as the Loyola community follow our “Men for and with Others” motto. We give without counting the cost, and we become richer when we give.

When someone gets something for free from a neighbor, they feel that they have been gifted and that creates a bond with the giver. These bonds are part of what strengthen communities.

—Gabriel Batnij ’22

Groceries for Good:

Helping Those in Need BY HENRY KUPIEC ’22

DURING THE START OF THE COVID LOCKDOWNS,

many at-risk individuals did not feel safe visiting grocery stores, yet some of these stores did not have delivery systems in place to help them. As a result, numerous community members faced a unique and difficult problem: they were unable to acquire their favorite groceries at their preferred stores. To help our vulnerable neighbors, senior Hudson O’Hanlon and I founded Groceries for Good, a community of high school volunteers who shop for and deliver groceries to those vulnerable individuals. Since our founding, we have made over 100 delivery trips and have overseen countless more trips made by my Cub brothers.

Loyola’s service-oriented community has played an immense role in the development of Groceries for Good. When I first realized the need for a service such as Groceries for Good, I was already overwhelmed with academic and extracurricular commitments. I could have decided that I did not have the time to start a volunteer group, but I felt a unique calling to follow the Loyola motto of being a Man for and with Others in a journey of service which continues today. Furthermore, I have witnessed countless acts of generosity from both faculty and my Cub brothers during my time at Loyola, ultimately inspiring me to perform my own act of service.

Loyola has created a unique community of students, faculty and alumni who all have bought into collective service. One recent example of this was Loyola’s efforts in supporting Groceries for Good’s El Camino Warrior Food Pantry drive. While running Groceries for Good, Hudson and I noticed a sharp increase in food insecurity, particularly among community college students. Once again, we became determined to find a way to help. Leveraging our networks in Groceries for Good as well as the Loyola lacrosse team, we successfully launched an effort to raise food and supplies for El Camino Community College students and their dependents. While we initially set out to collect 1,200 pounds of food and supplies, the widespread support of the Loyola community led us to far exceed our goal, raising 2,500 pounds. Cubs were willing to pick up donations and deliver them to collection hubs, alumni provided generous donations of food and toiletries and the faculty worked to spread the message. The collective power of small efforts allowed us to provide more than 2,000 meals to struggling students.

Loyola has played a critical role in the founding and continued success of Groceries for Good as well as countless other community service projects conducted by other members of the student body. Our tight-knit community of Men for and with Others, whether students or alumni, has transformed Loyola into an epicenter of projects bringing much needed good into the world.

Cubs were willing to pick up donations and deliver them to collection hubs, alumni provided generous donations of food and toiletries and the faculty worked to spread the message. The collective power of small efforts allowed us to provide more than 2,000 meals to struggling students.

— Henry Kupiec ’22

Loyola lacrosse players Henry Kupiec ’22 (left) and Hudson O’Hanlon ’21 (right) started Groceries for Good where, during the pandemic, they shop for others with no charge.