Purpose
To reduce the cost of care, make better use of existing resources, and strengthen solidarity by sharing, lending, and redistributing care-related supplies and equipment.
What need does it address?
- Improving access to care supplies and equipment
- Preventing short-term-use items from sitting unused
- Reducing the financial costs of caregiving
- Strengthening a culture of sharing within communities and neighborhoods
- Reducing waste and unnecessary consumption
How can it be practiced?
1. Identify items that can be shared.
Make a list of care-related supplies and equipment that are in good, usable condition.
For example:
- Baby clothes
- Toys and books
- High chairs
- Baby carriers
- Wheelchairs
- Walkers and mobility aids
- Canes
- Shower stools
- Hospital beds
- Crutches
- Ice packs, thermometers, and other care equipment
2. Create a sharing space.
You can establish a shared space for exchanging care supplies within your apartment building, neighborhood, workplace, or online community.
This could be a physical cabinet, shelf, or storage area, or a digital inventory and exchange list.
3. Share needs and available items.
When you need an item, you can post a request or check the shared inventory.
For example:
- “I need crutches for two weeks.”
- “We would like to pass on a baby bathtub that we no longer use.”
- “Is anyone looking for a hospital bed?”
4. Agree on borrowing arrangements.
The length of use, pickup arrangements, and return process can be discussed and agreed upon together.
5. Keep resources circulating.
When an item is no longer needed, it can be returned to its owner or passed on to another person who may benefit from it.
This allows care resources to remain in circulation rather than sitting unused.
Things to consider
- Shared items should be clean, safe, and in good condition.
- Personal-use items should be shared only after careful consideration of hygiene and safety concerns.
- Borrowing periods and return expectations should be discussed in advance.
- Participation should always be voluntary.
- The privacy and dignity of those requesting support should be respected.
The Ihtimam Perspective
Ihtimam Rituals offer practical ways to strengthen care relationships in everyday life. However, lasting solutions to the invisibilization of care require changes not only in daily practices, but also in organizations, policies, and systems.
Care supplies are often used for a limited period of time and then remain unused or are purchased again by someone else. This ritual reminds us that care is supported not only through labor and time, but also through the sharing of resources. It contributes to a more solidaristic and sustainable care economy by keeping valuable care resources in circulation.
For more structural approaches, explore the Care Policy Recommendations Tool:
Shared by
This ritual was shared by one of İhtimam’s Co-Nurturers.
Ihtimam Rituals is a living collection of care practices developed by individuals, communities, and organizations in their everyday lives. You can contribute to this collective archive by sharing a ritual that strengthens care relationships in your own daily life.