Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Fall Free SWAP Report


Guess what? It rained.

(This is why I reserve the pavilion every time. It's worth it to me to know that we will have protection in case of inclement weather.)

But, people came! Delightful new volunteers (like Ericka and Eva, in group photo above) joined veteran volunteers (I'm looking at you, Roy and Jill, in group photo above) in a soggy, but satisfying, day of service.


{Kerry out in the rain at the start of the swap. I think she was posting a notice online that we were, indeed, still holding the swap despite the rain.}

The rain made quick work of some of our beloved cardboard signs that we have used over the past several swaps. They disintegrated before our eyes, poor things. (To do: print more business cards in English and Spanish, and order new signs!)

Some of our younger volunteers eagerly took on their assignments as umbrella escorts. They took turns walking participants to and from the SWAP using a generously-sized golf umbrella.


Fortunately we had some decent stretches of time when the rain let up. Some of the things that came and went included a few TVs, some skis, industrial power vacuum, instrument cases, gun cases, toys, clothes, and kitchen ware.


One gentleman came with his trailer fully-laden with construction equipment, tools, gas cans, a ladder and a bunch of stuff I couldn't identify. It was a handyman's--or handyma'am's--trove of well-loved goods. Story was* the man's neighbor, a widow of 5 years, had a garage full of her husband's things that were sitting, untouched, unused. This man helped his neighbor clean out her garage and offered to load up his trailer and bring the load down to the SWAP to see if others could put those tools back to good use. It was like Santa with his sleigh. And most of that stuff was snatched right up, ready to start new adventures.


{there he is in the white shirt behind the trailer--bless you, good sir}


{couch and armchair--yup, you can bet those got taken}


{Hey, there's my dad helping to bring in another donation. It sure was a treat to have my parents in town that weekend!}

New volunteer Suzan took it upon herself to donate her truck and her driving to help anyone take large loads home--like the couch. She had spent years driving delivery vehicles for Deseret Industries.(D.I. stores are LDS/Mormon Church-based thrift stores) Now she wanted to drive for us. Bless her. In the end we used her truck to load up all the unclaimed items for delivery to the local thrift store. I'm just going to try to forget, though, how it poured buckets and buckets as we were cleaning up and loading the truck. Seriously. Buckets, folks. Really not the best circumstances. But, hey, we survived to do it all again another day.


{heaven-sent Suzan (wearing the hat) and her truck}

We are always interested in hearing about people's experiences--what they brought, what they found, why they came, etc. The rain made it difficult for people to linger and chat and leave comments/feedback, but we got a few responses. Glad to hear that folks found things they could use. 


We had quite a few food bank donations. We take the food donations to the Community Action Services and Food Bank in our sister city of Provo. Community Action serves people throughout the county.


{delivering your donations--thanks, folks!}

By the end of the event we had counted approximately 450 participants. Considering the rain, I count that a roaring success, indeed!

I've got to tell you: this really is a great "job." Kerry and I get to witness such generosity within the community. And such gracious receiving. And such devoted volunteers. It's a pretty good gig. I highly recommend it. 

You should do one in your area. ;)


Just wanted to give a special shout-out to rock star volunteer Ericka. She was new this year. She came right at the beginning and stayed and worked hard the entire time, all through clean-up. (Her brother and son also joined the crew.) She passed out our business card reminders to everyone she met and, as a native Spanish-speaker, proved very valuable to our team. Thank you so much, Ericka!

*The swift nature of the swap means that I usually don't have time to grab my pen and paper and get down all the details exactly as they are told me. This is my attempt at a best-guess remembrance of the story.

NOTE: I did not expressly receive permission to identify the people I discuss here. That is why I use only first names. If you see yourself in a photo and/or I have written your name and you would like me to remove it, please email me: desertgreengoddess (at) gmail (dot) com. Our paths cross so briefly and a little chaotically, that I forget to ask publication permission. But I find such value in your participation, in your stories, that I can't help but want to share. Nonetheless, I will respect your request to remove your name and image, if you wish it.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Thank You, Deseret News!

A big Thank You to Wendy Leonard and Michelle Tessier of the Deseret News for the story you did on our soggy, but warm-and-fuzzy, free swap yesterday. (Truth be told, it brought me to tears.)

Here's the link: The Spirit of Helping: 'Take Whatever You Need'

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Promoting the Fall Free SWAP at the Provo Farmers Market


{Big-time Cougar fan Kerry F. and I spread the Free SWAP word before she headed to the stadium.}


Yes, our canopy looks a little bit sad in this display. But don't let that fool you; it houses all sorts of goodness. (It turns out our canopy was too large for our allotted space, so, uh, we had to modify it a smidge.)

Ahem.

We had chairs but we hardly sat. We were actively on a mission to invite as many community members as possible to the Free SWAP on Saturday. It was truly a delight to connect with folks who love the idea.

Couple of observations.

One. Next time we will just use photos and signs in our display. I had brought a few items of clothing to hang on the line to, ahem, "add" to the display (okay, okay, I'm not a merchandiser). Turns out it just confused people. "Everything is Free" is a great sign to grab attention. But when some people quickly glance and see a meager selection of 6 items of girls' clothing, they get a quizzical look and move on. Next time, just signs and photos. Got it.

Two. "Everything is FREE" gets attention. But it also gets skepticism. Understandably so. I've had more than one lesson teaching my children the adage, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." There's always a catch, kids. Be wary. Keep your guard up. Uh, that is except this time; this time there really *is* no catch. Really. We had to try to convince a couple of folks that there was no gimmick, no bait-and-switch, no corporate advertising or sign-ups for spam. 

On a couple of occasions folks asked us, "So what's in it for you? How do you get paid for your time?" Our answer: well, we get paid in sunshine and rainbows and unicorns.

(Added bonus: that kind of payment is completely non-taxable. It's all under-the-table goodness that we get to take straight to the bank. Cha-ching.)

Overall, we felt the Provo Farmers Market was a great place to promote Saturday's SWAP. Beautiful day. Lots of people out enjoying all that the market had to offer. And a fantastic place to meet others who were eager to join with us in passing the word along. We loved hearing, as we handed out our new two-sided business cards, "Can I have a few more to pass around to friends?" You betcha.

See you Saturday!



{Next round of printing will see a little bit larger print, but overall, we are loving the cards.}





Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Fall Free SWAP Coming Up! Spread the News and/or Come Volunteer


{flyer posted up at my youngest's school}

The next SWAP is coming up soon. Help us spread the word. Below are links to downloadable color/photo flyers like the one in the photo above. Print them out and post them up. Or pass them around electronically--email, Facebook, Twitter, you know the drill.







c o m m u n i t y   f r e e   s : w . a . p .

for everyone and anyone
Saturday, September 27, 2014
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Orem City Center Park—Rotary Pavilion
North side of Center St. midway between State St. & 400 E.

It’s like a yard sale where everything is free.  Clear out clutter, pass along items you no longer need.   Item donations are welcome—from furniture to home décor to sporting equipment, with special consideration for seasonal items and cold weather gear.  Please limit donations to items that can be carried by one or two people; nothing that needs special moving equipment—i.e. dollies for refrigerators, etc.—unless you can assume responsibility for transport to its new home.  Simply bring items to the community free s:w.a.p. and then stay and browse the rest of the selection for anything that you could use. 

Note: NO DONATION REQUIRED; feel free to take what you can use.

There will also be a collection bin for any food bank items guests wish to bring which will later be delivered to the community Food Bank in Provo. 
Again, NO DONATION REQUIRED

Volunteers needed! 
Get together a group of friends and join us!  
Email desertgreengoddess(at)gmail(dot)com

Any other questions can be emailed to above address.

Facebook group: 
Community FREE S:W.A.P. (Sharing: We All Prosper) - Utah County

s h a r i n g  :  w e . a l l . p r o s p e r .

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Free SWAP Report


{Volunteers}

We really couldn't have asked for a better day for the Free S:W.A.P. Clear skies, warm day with a bit of a breeze. Veteran volunteers alongside new volunteers (welcome Brianna, Paula, and friends!) worked hard to get ready for the doors to open.

Welcome, community. Let's share!



{See that TV? Before the end we had received--and, phew, passed on--6 TVs! SIX, people!
photo courtesy of Kerry F.}


{Celebrity look-alikes among our devoted volunteers: 
Santa Claus/Roy S.
photo courtesy of Kerry F.}



{More celebrity look-alikes (it's a little hard to tell in the photo, but multiple sources agree!): Wonder Woman/Lisa H. and Gwen Stefani/Julie S accompanied by one of our younger volunteers, C
photo courtesy of Julie S.}

We were happy to hear reports from guests.  "At the last SWAP I got a rocking chair and I reupholstered it and it looks great."  Or "My youngest was finishing high school when we learned we were expecting again, so we have needed to get all the baby stuff again." Or "I volunteer with an organization that builds homes for needy families living on the Navajo reservation; I found some light switches and door knobs that I can use for that." 


{more volunteers: I see Connie C., Stacey H., Emily W., and Christina C. have joined the party}

It was at the last free swap in my neighborhood (2011), before I expanded the scale, that I first invited city officials to come check out what I was trying to accomplish with this idea. City council member Margaret Black accepted my invitation and stopped by that day 3 years ago. And here she is, again. Thank you, Councilmember Black, for your support. 


The last swap, on a chilly, chilly day in the fall of last year, saw around 300 guests.  Fall of 2012 had just under 600 guests. We were hoping that with more marketing avenues this year (radio and TV), we could get more than 600 people. Maybe--I was (overly-?) optimistic--we could get 800 people to come to this swap. Had my fingers crossed. We passed 600 just before 11:00. Either way, with one hour, officially, to go, we were set to break our previous record.

It was during this lull that we got a visit from an old college buddy of mine. I'm thinking there might be a fair number of you who know this guy! Brett Roberts of Kid Snippets/Kid History fame, folks. (He and his cast/crew were invited by Lucas Films to film some Kid Snippet episodes on the Star Wars cantina set! How cool is that?! He has even filmed episodes with none other than Josh Groban. Smidge jealous.) Here we are with his beautiful children and some delighted fans.


{that "MEN" sign placement just makes me laugh}

As interesting as attendance numbers are to me, it's the people behind those numbers that make it worth it. It's the hard-working volunteers who come back year after year.  It's the stories of the people that are the heart of it all. Friends and strangers alike giving graciously and receiving graciously.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: each Free S:W.A.P. benefits hundreds in our community. If every city across the country organized just one Free S:W.A.P. each year, the benefits would increase exponentially, turning those hundreds into millions.

I extend an open invitation to team up with me on this. Organize a Free S:W.A.P. (Sharing: We All Prosper) in your community. Let's work together. Share ideas. Share inspiration. Share the stories that give meaning to this journey of ours.

Here's volunteer Emily with our final count:


Additional thank yous, if I forgot someone, please, please tell me! Kerry F. (SWAP co-organizer) and her husband Jason F. (Kerry, I almost didn't include you here; it feels like we've been such a team that to thank you would be like thanking myself! But, truly, having a like-minded cohort on this project has made it so much more fun.), Tiffany D., Jill B., Amy G., Emma, Hannah, Natalie, Madison, Kelly B., Abby R., Jeff B., Emily from Orem Community Church, Kimberly from Feed the World, Kami C. (for watching my girls!!), David B. (for making the video) my son, and, of course, my husband, the surprise-volunteer-snacks-provider, for putting up with my crazy twice a year. Well, my "Free SWAP" crazy, that is. He puts up with my regular crazy all year long. ;)


Thursday, June 5, 2014

Channel 4's Good Things Utah--On TV to Promote the SWAP



{me, Kerry F. and Good Things Utah hosts Nicea, Gretchen, and Troy--aren't they gorgeous?!}

Pant, pant . . . okay, my heart can slow down now and the butterflies will please vacate my stomach. We are done with all the pre-swap media promotions.

Thank you, thank you to Good Things Utah for inviting us to share what we love on your show. Thanks, so much, Megan Bowen, for extending the invitation; we appreciate your seeing the value in the swap. And a special thanks to Chris who got us hooked up with our microphones and for our post-show chat at the end. (You are a cheeky one, aren't you?)

Nicea, Gretchen and Troy are so good at their jobs. I tip my hat to you, folks. Really. Wow. That's tough work. Thank you for helping to amplify our voices. You made it fun. We were glad we could, for a brief while, be a part of your specialness (is that a word?!).


To watch our segment of the show click here.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Radio Promotion of the SWAP--Thanks to Dan Bammes of KUER

Thank you to Dan Bammes, Morning Edition Host/Reporter at KUER, for your interest in amplifying my voice and helping me share this community event I love so much.

For my first time in radio, I must express profuse gratitude for the miracle of editing.


You can catch the minute-long spot here.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Summer Free S:W.A.P. Coming Up!



c o m m u n i t y   f r e e   s : w . a . p .

for everyone and anyone
Saturday, June 7, 2014
8:00 am to 12:00 noon
Orem City Center Park—Rotary Pavilion
North side of Center St. midway between State St. & 400 E.

It’s like a yard sale where everything is free.  Clear out clutter, pass along items you no longer need.   Item donations are welcome—from furniture to home décor to sporting equipment.  Please limit donations to items that can be carried by one or two people; nothing that needs special moving equipment—i.e. dollies for refrigerators, etc.—unless you can assume responsibility for transport to its new home.  Simply bring items to the community free s:w.a.p. and then stay and browse the rest of the selection for anything that you could use. 

Note: NO DONATION REQUIRED; feel free to take what you can use.

There will also be a collection bin for any food bank items guests wish to bring which will later be delivered to the community Food Bank in Provo.

Volunteers needed! Get together a group of friends and join us!  Email desertgreengoddess@gmail.com.

Any other questions can be emailed to above address.

Facebook group: Community FREE S:W.A.P. (Sharing: We All Prosper) - Utah County

s h a r i n g  :  w e . a l l . p r o s p e r .

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Community Free S:W.A.P. goes to BYU Women's Conference


To do: Update resume. Add "Booth Babe."

Several months back I contacted BYU Women's Conference to apply for a booth at its Sharing Stations. My colleague Kerry F. and  I thought it could be a great place to spread those dandelion-seed wishes to other communities around the country, and to tell local folks about our upcoming event. I was told that the conference normally didn't accept outside applications--that it was all done in-house--but that our idea fit perfectly with the theme (service/community) and therefore extended an invitation to us to share our idea.


{Showed how our past Free S:W.A.P.s have gone}


{Included last summer's debut appearance in Utah Valley Magazine, 

We were excited to participate in an event that draws thousands of people each year. Though most of the attendees come from the western United States, there are people from all over the world who come.


{Tiffany D., me, and Kerry F. after the opening session of the conference.}

Kerry F., Tiffany D. and I had an exhaustingly great time preaching our love of the Community Free S:W.A.P. And we got love in return.


{Preach, Kerry!}

Near the end of the night we invited guests to shop our display for free, so they could see the free swap in action. It sure made packing up a bit easier.


{This is a group quilt that I had organized years ago. Several rounds of cutting and sewing and tying. It has been sitting *almost* finished--missing the binding--for YEARS in my basement. This young woman was eager to have it and finish it. 
Thanks to all those who have worked on that throughout the years!}


{Sharing: We All Prosper}


{We love seeing things we don't use any more finding new life with someone else. It works!}

So the grassroots efforts continue.  We are hoping our few voices can be magnified by communities near and far. Help us spread the word to local Utah folks. And for those in other communities around the country/world . . . join us in spirit! Organize an event where you are* (or get a friend to do it!) and see just what it can become. Feel free to promote using #freeswap and/or #sharingweallprosper. Let us know about events you are planning. Ask us questions. Share with us your great ideas of what has worked for you.

(*I understand that this concept is not a universally-accepted cultural practice. So it wouldn't work everywhere. But wherever it can . . .)

s h a r i n g  :  w e   a l l   p r o s p e r