After seeing smiles and sharing and delighted incredulity in 7 summers of neighborhood free swap meets, I decided this was an event that needed to grow, that needed to touch many, many more lives.
This summer I expanded the scope of the free swap to include my whole city and the greater community at large. I contacted the mayor and city council, the city manager, and the Neighborhoods in Action chair. I reached out to local businesses and charitable organizations (food bank, United Way, Habitat for Humanity). I wrote my first press release, interviewed with columnists from two different newspapers, and appeared on the KSL Noon News to promote the community free swap. (It got a segment on the ten o' clock news that night. Watch it here.)
The response was amazing.
People came. They came with clothes, with cribs, with kitchen appliances, with electronics, with entertainment centers, with furniture, with books, with craft items and with cans of baby formula. One donation was a fairly good-sized organ (the piano-like instrument, that is, not a vital body part). There were people seeking me out to tell me how much they loved the idea. Many asked when the next one was going to be. And a couple of people gave me hugs as thanks. I was so moved.
I thought about it. This event in one Utah community benefited hundreds of people. Imagine if every city across the country were to hold such an event--even if it were just once a year--those hundreds would turn into millions.
Join me in starting a trend of gracious giving and gracious receiving by organizing a community free s:w.a.p in your city/region.
The community free s:w.a.p blog will be a virtual gathering place. You can read guidelines for starting your own event, share your tips and suggestions, submit event reports, share touching or funny stories, and photos of your event--pictures of the weirdest items donated are a bonus!
I would love to get several events going in the second half of 2012. (I am organizing another event in my city for the last Saturday in September. This will be a great time to swap cold weather gear, blankets, and even shop for potential gifts for whatever upcoming holiday/birthday people may be celebrating.) For those in temperate regions or in the South, this is more easily scheduled. For those in colder climates, you would want to start planning right away or hold off, lay the groundwork and plan for one early next summer.
If you are interested in organizing such an event in your community, email me at desertgreengoddess@gmail.com. Include your name, city/region, and how you heard about this.
Compared to many nations across the globe, there is such abundance in our country—general abundance of food, of goods, and of wealth. The community free s:w.a.p. is a chance to foster the abundance of good will in all of us.
Dream with me.
[I have documented some previous free swap events--including links to articles and the TV news report--on my blog desertgreengoddess.blogspot.com. Click on the "community" label on the right and it will load several posts, among which are 5 about free swap events.]
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