[…]If you’re looking for some good news in these all-too-depressing economic times, check out what’s been going on over the past few months on the corner of Southeast 35th Avenue and Yamhill Street.

In a once decaying space in the grand old Sunnyside United Methodist Church, for 12 hours a day, six days a week, children now tumble through indoor play structures. Grown-ups gather for weekly meet-ups and companionship, and families of all shapes and sizes give what they don’t need and take what they do.[…]

From
Radical rummage
Give-some-take-some exchange has a bigger purpose
BY AUDREY VAN BUSKIRK in The Portland Tribune, Apr 8, 2008
Read the full article

Our first open house for Summer quarter membership will be held 9am – 4pm Saturday, July 5th.

Prospective new members can tour, register, select a job, pay and sign all paperwork. Come to 3520 Yamhill Street, take the steps up to the double entry doors, follow signs to the Sunnyside Family Swap Shop and Play Space.

Live entertainment by Penny the Puppeteer on stage 3 - 4pm.

Grand Opening of the outdoor play area with shady, grassy places to while away the
summer hours, garden boxes to watch vegetables grow and a dig pit good for hours of exploration.
Come check it out. Your kids will thank you for it.

Photo exhibition: Allegra Villella [Heartbeats and Whispers]
The Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op is excited to share an opening celebration featuring the photography
of Allegra Villella with you. Her premier exhibition is a narrative of images that expresses a
tension between ourselves bound to gravity, yet filled with an uncontainable element of the Divine. Photos will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the artist and a building improvement fund.

The first day of school at Sunnyside is a like a giant parade of recycled clothing and equipment as lots of kids show off their latest find and find their last year’s things living a new life with another student.

The date and time for this event in fall 2008 is to be announced.

June Meet Up Schedule:

Meet-ups provide a way for our membership to get together and get to know each other better. Our space is open to everyone 8am – 8pm, Monday – Saturday. You are not excluded from using the space during the meet up times listed below if you are not a part of the listed group. This just gives a chance for families with similar aged children and/or similar interests to know when to meet each other in the space.

• MONDAY:
  • 10am – 11am Knitting circle
  • 1:30 – 2:30pm Healthy Kids Talk – Naturopathic physician, Laura Torgerson, answers health questions for kids and adults (16th, 23rd and 30th )
• TUESDAY:
  • 9am – 10am Music time with Dena Wilder
    Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers welcome
• WEDNESDAY:
  • 10:30 - noon Baby Time –co-op mom, Lyn Berkley’s
    gathering for 6–18 month olds.
  • 7-8pm Folk Music Family Nights – New for the summer, led by Dena Wilder and David Rovics on alternating Weds, live music for adults and kids starting on the 11th.
• THURSDAY:
  • 10:30-11:30 Nanny Hour: Gather with other paid
    caregivers who regularly come to the Co-op.
  • 7 – 8pm Late night baby boogie – If your child takes two to three naps and is awake until late, join other late night families.
• FRIDAY:
  • Noon -2 Home School Families – Gathering time for
    home schooling families and/or families considering home schooling.
  • 2 – 3 pm Two Mom Families (and then some)
    A playgroup gathering of alternative families of all varieties.
  • 6 :30 – 8pm Stage Play for ages 6 and older: take to the stage and do it your way. Special themes for this night announced by email.

Rachel Bloom
is the Director of Portland Supported Employment, an arts oriented day program for developmentally disabled adults. Her staff in conjunction with local musicians and artists, develop, produce, and perform unique and inclusive musicals for the stage. Rachel has wanted a community center space for our youngest children for many years now and has hosted young family hours with live entertainment at local businesses in our neighborhood.

Ann Elkins - Indoor Playground Design Coordinator
Our Indoor playground design coordinator, Ann has a BFA in Museum Studies and 10 years of experience as an early childhood educator and program manager. Ann is currently the manager of the Early Childhood Education program at OMSI where she was the lead R & D and project coordinator for the creation of OMSI’s 7,000 sq. ft. early childhood hall Science Playground.

Dena Wilder
Dena moved to Portland two years ago to find a place she could grow personally and be part of a community that believes in tending to the environment and building unity between its members. She has over 20 years of experience working with children in a variety of capacities: recreational therapist, caregiver, storyteller, and instructor. She is currently an instructor with Portland Parks and Recreation teaching music, creative drama and yoga.

Our maximum number of active member families is 200. We anticipate that we will reach capacity next fall or winter. Joining now is a great way to assure that you have secured a membership before our capacity is reached.

All new members pay a $25 joining fee and $25 per month to participate. We ask all families who can afford to do so to pay for a quarter’s membership at a time. Special arrangements can be made for monthly payments if needed.

To join for the Summer Quarter (July, August, September, your application needs to be received by the end of July. The sooner your application is received the sooner you can start enjoying swapping, playing and socializing in the space.

Two ways to join:

By Mail: Include a bank or cashier’s check for the $25 joining fee and your first three months membership fees (total of $100) or a check for $50 (joining fee and first month’s membership) plus an autopay form for ongoing membership payments.

Mail Application, check and Autopay Form if selected to: Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op c/o Sunnyside Methodist Church 3520 Yamhill Street, Portland, OR 97214. Checks should be made out to Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op.

You will receive an email (or phone call if you have no email listed) acknowledging your application and giving you the entry access code so you can enter the space to fill out a first visit checklist, select a job and read through and acknowledge the member guidelines.

In Person: Visit the space during the Summer quarter open house 9am – 4pm Saturday, July 5th to register, tour, select a job, pay and sign all paperwork. Come to 3520 Yamhill Street, take the steps up to the double entry doors, follow signs to the Sunnyside Family Swap Shop and Play Space. If you wish to see the space before or after our open house, call Karen Hery, Sunnyside Swap Shop Co-op facilitator/coordinator, at (503) 407-2667 to set up a time to meet in the space.

Autopay Form

Application

Member Agreement

All items in good, useful condition are accepted including clothing, books, toys, arts and craft supplies, non perishable food, working electronics, furniture, household and gardening goods. New this year: an outdoor tent to house large play equipment, furniture and building supply items will be set up on the blacktop behind the gym.

Please bring only clean items in good working order. If you have items that just need to be thrown away or recycled, these can be taken to the Sunnyside Neigbhorhood Association’s Spring Clean Up happening the same weekend on Saturday 9 a.m. to noon, at St. Stephens Catholic Church parking lot, at the corner of SE 42d & Taylor.

Costs for the Spring Clean up are $6 for carload, $10 for SUVs/wagons, and $14 for pickups. They will accept yard debris, wood waste, metal, block Styrofoam, packing peanuts, planting pots, and unusable household items. Auto tires are okay, too; $4 off the rim, $5 mounted. They will accept most electronics except TVs and microwaves, including all computer components, stereos, VCRs, and cell phones. Some things they will not take: gas-powered yard machines, hazardous household waste, recyclables, household (kitchen) garbage, or large amounts of construction debris or sod.

There is no cost to participate in the Useful Goods Exchange and all swaps are done on the honor system. If you have more items to give than you want back in return, consider bringing your items in as early as possible to give swappers lots to choose from. If you want to make sure that you get equal value in swap for your donations, you are welcome to shop first and swap second by coming in on Saturday, finding the things you want to use, taking them home and then returning before the end of the swap on Saturday with items that can be offered up for the rummage sale on Sunday.

Event volunteers have 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 event contact Karen Hery: karenhery@gmail.com (503) 407-2667. For more information on the Spring Clean Up event on Saturday, call the Sunnyside neighborhood hotline at 503-295-1699.

Testimonials about the annual Useful Goods Exchange:

[…]If you’re looking for some good news in these all-too-depressing economic times, check out what’s been going on over the past few months on the corner of Southeast 35th Avenue and Yamhill Street.

In a once decaying space in the grand old Sunnyside United Methodist Church, for 12 hours a day, six days a week, children now tumble through indoor play structures. Grown-ups gather for weekly meet-ups and companionship, and families of all shapes and sizes give what they don’t need and take what they do.[…]

From
Radical rummage
Give-some-take-some exchange has a bigger purpose
BY AUDREY VAN BUSKIRK in The Portland Tribune, Apr 8, 2008
Read the full article

Thanks!
This is the best kept secret in town. I cannot ask for a better way to build community, to have a safe place for our kids to play, to share similar values with other families and to save our planet!
- Fanny Gonzalez-MkKaney

We recently moved to Portland from the east coast and feel like the co-op embodies everything we love about the culture here.
- The Helzers

Our child isn’t one who normally plays independently for very long. This space has helped him achieve this goal.
- Kerrie and Chris Waymire

This indoor park has been a godsend for me and my 2 kids during the rainy weather!
- The Rubins

Testimonials about the annual Useful Goods Exchange: