Swap Positive offers free fashion and frugal fun

Swap Positive is your go-to resource for Portland area swaps. A swap involves getting a bunch of people together to exchange clothes and other items you no longer need, and offering them free of charge to others by swapping them instead. Swap Positive Free Swaps are unique because they bring together coordinators who volunteer their time, venues that donate their facility for free and swappers who bring clean items in good condition. In return, swappers find ‘new’ items for themselves or to give as gifts. The remaining items go to organizations and individuals who give them away, in the spirit of sharing. No money ever changes hands. Everyone involved gets to play with other kind, generous, thrifty, sustainability-minded people. That is the mission of Swap Positive Free Swaps.

Barb Hughes, who started Swap Positive, said, “I began free swapping in 2005, starting as a swapper, then a volunteer swap hostess, then founding the Swap Positive Network to help coordinate all the free swaps that were popping up all over town.  At each step I’ve enjoyed de-cluttering my home and hunting for treasure with like-minded thrifty kind people.”

She even has a swap philosophy that has evolved over the years and puts fun on the forefront. She now sees that free swaps are helpful to create community and make a positive difference in many ways. Barb’s swap philosophy includes these insights:

• Free Swaps keep usable items in use and allows all people to enter empowered and leave enriched. Most of us have something we aren’t using and with everyone invested in giving, we all participate in free frugal fun.
• Free Swaps allow people to play and friendships to spark. Women especially often spend their time and energy primarily on others. Barb wanted to provide a place where generous women could pamper themselves and play in a safe, fun, environment—while freeing their closets of clutter—meeting like-minded thrifty people and getting ‘new-to-you’ treats all at the same time! Of course, this concept has expanded to generous men, teens and children as well.
• Free Swaps offer businesses and organizations the opportunity to create mutual partnerships to improve the community in tangible ways. For example, People’s Food Co-op allows a free swap in their upstairs meeting room. After the swap, people can conveniently purchase a few needed items, additionally supporting the store. Since swap left overs go to organizations as donations to be given away, people in need receive items to better their lives through various social service agencies, food/clothing pantries and resource centers.
• Free Swaps provide hosts the chance to develop leadership skills in addition to creating connections and contributing to the community. The Swap Positive website has instructions on how to become a swap host, how to start a free swap in the size or category you want and ways to connect with other hosts willing to lend support and advice.

Swap Positive catalogs the swaps based on hosts’ interests—by sizes, locations and categories. 

Categories include

• Women’s clothing
• Shoes
• Accessories
• Children’s clothing
• Toys
• Gifts (or re-gifted ones!)
• Family clothing swaps for men, women and kids
• Maternity clothes
• Stuff

Are you ready to swap? Visit the About Swaps page to learn more and get your questions answers on the FAQ page.

Green Lents builds community through borrowing and sharing

Are you a resident of one of these Portland neighborhoods: Lents, Powellhurst-Gilbert, Pleasant Valley, Foster-Powell, Mt. Scott-Arleta, Brentwood-Darlington or Montavilla? Do you know of the many reasons to visit Green Lents, the organization that supports community-led projects like the free Community Tool Library?

Green Lents Community Tool Library contributes to community livability in this diverse area of the city by providing free tools and resources to residents in and around the Lents neighborhood in outer Southeast and East Portland.

The Community Tool Library functions like a book library, except that you check out tools or other project materials instead of books. They also have a seed library, where you can borrow seeds, grow food and then return seeds back to the library for others to use. Since its founding in 2012, there are over 500 members who check out tools for a one-week rental for free, with the option of renewal. It is open two days a week and is volunteer run.

One volunteer, Renee Orlick, started as a user of the Community Tool Library. When she moved to Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood in 2013, she was able to borrow a tall ladder from the library to harvest the fruit trees she had throughout her yard. Around this time, Renee started volunteering and has since joined the organization’s board. Her main goal is to make the library as functional as possible including checking tool donations into the system so members can use them.

The community based nonprofit, Green Lents, offers even more for residents. There are two fellows, April Jamison and Izzy Armenta, who work with the organization as volunteer engagement coordinators for all four of their projects. April works on Community Tool Library, Malden Court Community Orchard and Pollinator Habitat, while Izzy works on Livable Lents.

Since education, skill building and sharing all promote a thriving, sustainable community, April and Izzy want to combine these into actions to share with neighbors, build community and grow knowledge.

They have ideas, like offering a summer DIY workshop series with the tool library, and are already conducting a survey with Livable Lents so they can hear from residents about their visions and needs for the community.

"What I like best about this organization is that it's a community asset that has been built by the community, for all of our neighbors. The dedication to sharing and growing strong together is really inspiring," said April.  

The organization looks for volunteers and those in the community who are interested in participating from the ground up, with ideas to grow within the established network. One such idea is about volunteers themselves. “Green Lents, like so many nonprofit organizations, rely on volunteers so we have defined a commitment where members can volunteer for two-to-four hours a month for six months. It’s working and we would like to see the involvement continue,” said April.

Visit the free Community Tool Library to borrow what you need and get involved with Green Lents to share ways to make a difference in your neighborhood.

Portland residents can access tool libraries around the city, based on where you live. Check out the North, Northeast or Southeast resources to learn more.

Find back-to-school savings with Chinook Book

Carrie Treadwell, from Resourceful PDX partner Chinook Book, offers her insights on last minute uses for the local coupon resource.

As any parent of school-age kids knows, getting ready for back-to-school includes lots of lists of what kids need for the classroom, for the lunchroom, or out on the field.

Carrie wants you to put your Chinook Book coupons to work for you and your family. The mobile coupons expire on August 31, 2015, while the print ones expire on October 31, 2015. Before the new edition arrives in September, utilize what you already have and save money!

With kids in school, the Chinook Book offers coupons in many categories, including Fashion and Gifts, Grocery Products and Local Grocery. It has you covered for back-to-school and last minute needs, from clothes and supplies to food and fashion. Savings abound with local, sustainable businesses in Portland.

Are you after new or used clothes?

Under Fashion and Gifts there are a number of places to purchase kids’ clothes, coats, shoes and more. A few clothing options include Grasshopper, Bella Stella and two locations of Piccolina.

There are adult resale options too! Sequel Apparel, Silver Lining, Button and Here We Go Again.

Trying for waste-free lunches or healthier lunch and snack options? Need a new backpack or a way to make an old one new again?

Stock up with grocery products at local stores to create weekly meal plans and to reduce waste while shopping. A few grocery options include New Seasons, Food Front Coop and Grocery Outlet.

Most local grocers carry backpacks, lunch bags and water bottles for supplies and waste-free lunches. Shops that carry kid friendly items also carry these. Many of the coupons take a percentage off or $5-$10 off a purchase based on how much you spend.

SCRAP offers inexpensive school supplies and art supplies to add something special to favorite or worn-in items. The coupon offers an additional $3 off of a $10 purchase.

Get more tips about waste-free lunches at a previous Resourceful PDX post under kids in school.

Plan ahead and make your lists based on Chinook Book savings!

3 ways to rethink back to school supplies

Getting kids ready to go back to school may include more stuff, more hassle and more stress. But there are things you can do that will help save time, money and resources. Check out Portland resources first to get what you need to go back to school.

Does everything have to be new? Can creativity and reuse have a place at this time of year? The stuff we need for school accounts for a large amount of money spent on items we may already have on hand. On average, a family with school-aged kids expects it will spend $630 this year, the lowest it’s been since 2011 and down from $669 last year. (Source: Time)

You can get the young kids involved with back-to-school readiness by making a game of finding things they already have in the house for the school year ahead. Establishing a routine is important this time of year so get them involved in maintaining new (or reused) items by making an effort to put school supplies in a safe place every day. Perhaps the one who finds the most usable things can win a special prize or shared experience at a local scoop shop!

Here are some ways to rethink how to get the supplies your kids need.

1. Plan ahead. When you have a plan it's easier to take action.

Before the new school year begins, sort through your old materials and reuse what you can from last year's supplies. Make a list before you shop for school supplies because it will help you remember what you wanted to purchase and limit impulse buying.

2. Consider quality over quantity.

Buy products with more recycled content – paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer materials, for example – and less or no packaging. If the product comes with packaging, ensure the wrapping or container includes recycled content and can be recycled.

3. Buy local. Reused school and craft supplies are available in Portland.

Visit SCRAP to help create DIY one-of-a-kind items for school, like pencil bags from fabric, zippers and found objects, or to customize last year’s backpacks by adding sew-on patches or letters. SCRAP offers paper of all colors and sizes, markers, pens, colored pencils, plus so much more.

For books and computers, consider used or refurbished ones. Many schools reuse text books to save money and reduce waste. Share your used books with friends, relatives, or younger schoolchildren. Multnomah County Library is an excellent resource for research projects and homework help. The library’s Title Wave Used Book Store offers a wide selection of books and other materials at deep discounts. Free Geek is a great place to donate old computers and buy replacements, plus find other electronic equipment.

Get2gether Neighborhood Challenge announces 2015 winners

Whether it's a neighborhood garden, a community swap, or a tool lending library, the Center for a New American Dream knows that your block, street, or neighborhood has an exciting project just waiting to come to life. That's why the Center for a New American Dream launched the first-ever Get2gether Neighborhood Challenge in 2013.

One of the 2015 winners includes a project from our neighbors up in Seattle. The project will create a free tool library in the Capitol Hill neighborhood with a workshop space, classes, and fixer’s collective to help build community and reduce consumerism. Read all about the five winners – and think about how you can get involved for the next round of grants.

Portland already has four tool libraries, available to residents of East Portland, North Portland, Northeast Portland, and Southeast Portland. In fact, they often partner with Repair PDX to host repair café events in their space, so residents can get items fixed for free.

Drop Resourceful PDX a line to ask questions or share what’s going on in your community and neighborhood.