Last year I organized a brunch for friends and invited everyone to bring items they no longer needed.  I also asked them to email items they specifically needed.  My goal of doing this was not only to recycle, but to provide a venue to take care of each other’s needs.  I think it grows friendships when we allow others to help us and we gracefully accept their generosity.  

Besides it being a warm autumn afternoon with good food, we all found new treasures from others’ unwanted goods.  The highlight was the gifting of needed items.  For example, I told friends that I

could use Cumin spice and unused toiletries for a local shelter I like to donate to.  I got half a jar of Cumin (my friend said she bought too much) and a bag full of bodywash, soap, and shampoo!  

So in the spirit of swaps, today I ran across an article about a clothing & accessories swap done in a Denver bar!  It was free to attend, free to donate & take items, and fun to buy a drink too.  I’d love to do something like this in Akron, Ohio…but in the meantime I think I’ll schedule another one in my livingroom.