Swap for Good parties with a purpose
Credit: Swap For Good
We've all heard of clothing swaps - those gatherings where everyone brings some old duds to trade for a wardrobe refresh on the cheap. But what if that clothing swap did more than just serve as entertainment and recession-ready living? What if it could help out victims of domestic violence? Orli Cotel and Brianna Cayo Cotter have come up with a brilliant plan to bring together being an eco-friendly fashionista and being an advocate for the people in your community. The project is called Swap for Good, and people around the country are hosting clothing swaps as a way to raise money for their local domestic violence shelters.
After California cut $16 million from domestic violence programs last year during an effort to reign in the state's budget deficit, Cotel and Cayo Cotter decided that someone had to fill in where California was letting residents down. Even though funding was slashed, the need for domestic violence protection services is going up.
Swap For Good: Pitch from Swap For Good on Vimeo.
"A lot of people don't identify themselves as activists but everybody feels comfortable talking about clothes," Ms. Cotel said during an interview with the New York Times. "We just wanted to find a little way to make a difference."
And they are. Swap for Good is just getting rolling, but 18 swaps are already scheduled across the country. And you can host one too!
You simply pick a date and register your swap with Swap for Good so that they can post it on their site. Then select a local shelter and a donation goal, collect money at the door before the swap starts, enjoy the fun-filled swap as usual, and drop off the donated money to the shelter agreed upon. There are details from the organization on how to make the swap a success, right down to texts to use in reminder emails to participants.
Even if you aren't up for hosting a swap but love the idea, Swap for Good's website has a feature allowing you to find local swaps near you.
Cayo Cotter states, "In hard economic times, funding for these critical programs gets slashed, just when the need is rising. No one who fears for their safety should be turned away and left at risk. By cleaning out your closet, you can help open doors to a violence-free life for people who are in abusive relationships."
