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Strafford Red Barn faces occasional disposal costs from unannounced donations
Summary
Rec Committee member Leslie Berger told the Sharon Energy Committee that unannounced drop-offs force volunteers to cull items, costing roughly $40–$50 and a few hours of volunteer time; the barn currently has no formal inventory system.
At the Sharon Energy Committee's Feb. 1, 2026 site visit to the Strafford Red Barn, Recreation Committee member Leslie Berger described recurring issues with unannounced donations. Berger said volunteers sometimes spend about $40–$50 culling unusable items and that organizing the barn requires roughly a half day to two days of volunteer time over the year.
Berger also told the committee that the lending program operates without a formal inventory; items are made available informally to Strafford residents, and the barn schedules a couple of early-winter open days to distribute mostly children's gear. Committee members noted the combination of informal borrowing and occasional unsolicited donations can increase staff workload and disposal costs, particularly because other town groups and the Strafford schools also store equipment there.
