INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – Tucked at the end of the Indian River Mall near Macy’s, Keep Indian River Beautiful set out bin after bin of fabric, plastic flowers, milk containers and oatmeal tubes – ready to find a new home and project to be a part of.
“We know budgets are tight,” KIRB Executive Director Kristy Sturdivant said – which is part of the reason the items were marked free. Within the first couple hours of “Toss it to the KIRB Day,” more than 100 people had browsed the bins, searching for items they could put to use.
Among those who picked through the tubs of items was Rosalyn Goldberg.
“I’m here with my daughter,” Goldberg said, explaining that she hadn’t planned to pick up a few items, but had anyway.
A bundle of peach colored flower buds were a find, she said. Goldberg plans to put them in a hanging basket she has at home to brighten the space.
Val Esposito also walked the aisles within KIRB, taking advantage of the shop being open.
Esposito said she frequently walks the mall, but often KIRB is not open.
“You have to be kind of crafty to like what we’re offering,” Sturdivant said.
Among the rows of shelves, there are baskets filled with cardboard picture frames, empty film canisters and tissue boxes, and various knickknacks.
“We have a lot of random stuff,” Sturdivant said.
Items not taken during September’s Toss it to the KIRB Day will be held over to next month as KIRB works to weed out items to make room for more.
KIRB is open at the Indian River Mall Tuesdays through Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.