The fourth annual Useful Goods Exchange co-hosted by Sunnyside Environmental School, Sunnyside Neighborhood Association and the Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op was held Friday, April 16th – Sunday, April 18th 2010 inside the Sunnyside Environmental School gym, and cafeteria and out on the blacktop area behind the school. Drop off of useful goods began on Friday and continued on Saturday. Swapping happened all day on Saturday. All items not swapped on Saturday were part of the rummage sale on Sunday. Remaining useful goods were given to charity on Monday.
Next year’s event will be held in late April or early May depending on the dates that the school is available and the timing of our sister event: the Sunnyside Neighborhood Clean Up. The rising costs of renting school space from the district have made the cost of running the rummage sale exceed the revenue collected so next year’s event will most likely not include a Sunday rummage sale. The traditional last hour free part of the rummage sale will become the last hour of the exchange being a take-all-you-want-and-need even if you didn’t bring things to exchange. This will be a great time to gather things for your own family or your favorite charity in need of household goods.
You do not have to wait until next spring to be a part of this great exchange. A slightly smaller version – The Back-to-School Exchange – accepting just clothes, books, sports equipment and school supplies happens at the end of August to help kick of the new school year.
If you have yet to experience the Useful Goods Exchange or just want a refresher on the timing and general guidelines, here is a list of information to help you enjoy and make the best of this annual event:
Prior to the event:
Box and bag up any and all useful items that you would like out of your house and recirculating in community: clothes that no longer fit or suit, extra housewares, books, toys your kids have grown out of or grown tired of, spare furniture, useable construction materials, gardening supplies, etc.
Friday (Date to be announced for 2011) – Drop Off and Sort. Items can be dropped off starting when school gets out at 3pm until 9pm in the gym, hallway and blacktop area (look for volunteers directing you to the right areas). Adult volunteers help our middle school managers and their crews create a department store in the gym and cafeteria ready for the big swap day on Saturday.
Saturday – All day swap. You can wait and bring in your items on Saturday (Event times to be announced) and add them to the departments then shop for things you would like in return. All swapping is done on the honor system taking as much as you give in a way that feels fair to you. If you want to assure that you get fair value in return for the items you bring, you can shop first and swap second, taking out of the exchange the things that you want and returning by the close at 6pm with your items in trade.
Last hour on Saturday, all items are free. Clothes that remain at the end of Saturday will be available to the homeless and near homeless through the Sunnyside Methodist Church building, delivered to Portland Public Schools clothing center and incorporated into the Swap Shop. Other items will be given to charitable organizations. If you have a favorite charity you like to provide with clothing or household goods, come gather what they may need in the free hour.
What to bring:
Any item that has useful good left in it is welcome at the exchange: clean clothing with out rips or tears, books, videos, DVDs, CD’s, furniture, dishes, craft supplies, gardening items, toys, working electronics, building supplies, etc. The Sunnyside Neighborhood Clean Up usually takes place at St. Stephens Catholic Church parking lot at 42nd and Taylor the same Saturday at the exchange. For a small fee they will accept items that need to be dumped. Items accepted in 2010 were: mixed solid waste, nonrecyclable materials, wood and bulky waste, old doors and furniture.
They can not accept: gas-powered yard machines, hazardous household waste, recyclables, yard debris, tv’s, monitors and household electronics, household garbage, block styrofoam or packing peanuts or large amounts of construction debris.
How to help out:
Volunteers get the best selection of items for exchange. With new items coming in throughout Friday and Saturday and everything becoming free at the end of Sunday, every hour is a good hour to be volunteering.
Middle school students at Sunnyside Environmental School act as department managers and co-workers with each other and really make this great-for-the-environment exchange the amazing community swap and social event that it is. It just couldn’t run as well as it does with out their energy and enthusiasm. Walk in volunteers (adults and students) are welcome the weekend of the event.
Looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar and new faces at this popular event.
Event volunteers had the best access to swap items during the event. To volunteer for a set up, swap or rummage sale shift or for more information on the next event contact Karen Hery: sunnysideswapshop
gmail
com
or (503) 407-2667.
Testimonials about the annual Useful Goods Exchange:
Although I’ve said it before, here is the “offical” version: Thank you, Karen, for dreaming up & organizing the Sunnyside Swap Shop. Everyone there, including Sarah Taylor, our school principal, had a big smile on their face and big bags in their hands as they exited the school Saturday.But more than that, it created a big open space in our hearts, filled with dreams, hopes, realities, possibilities and connections for me and my family. My son, who somehow has the “materialism” gene, was utterly amazed at the sheer number of items there just for him (I imagine he thought) to choose from! The miracle occurred when he came to realize that all those toys that were there, all the stuff, was stuff that members of the community, his community, were so freely giving away. There were so many levels of appreciation to that realization of his, that his face could barely contain it, so that his smile got wild and his eyes rolled around happily in his head! It was breathtaking to behold, truly, to see the effects of your dream on my son’s face last Saturday! I cannot thank you enough.
Many people dream. Few persevere, walking with their dream to it’s destiny, as did you. It still inspires me to think that you’ve only just arrived here in Portland, young children in tow, recently separated from their father, your husband. (and let’s not forget your close friend who you helped transition to The Divine Unknown) Yet, your trust in others remains strong despite adversity, and leads you to build community in wise and wonderous ways. You are the Phoenix, born and rising from the ashes, providing a light beackon to all of us here, as a guide in how to fly.
- Nikki Monacelli
Founding member of the Sunnyside Family Swap Shop and Play Space
Parent of a Sunnyside Environmental School student
