Neighborhood Exchange

You can start a neighborhood exchange event in your community that will not only bring neighbors together, but may also create new friendships.

The concept in these trying times is to get neighbors together sharing items from their homes that they no longer have need of.

These items can be things that you are considering donating to charities, but that a neighbor just may have need of.

As the economy has taken such a hit in the last several years, and as our neighborhoods have become more diverse, we can help each other by exchanging household items within our neighborhood.

You may have purchased curtains for a room in your home, that just do not work with your room coloring, however they may be perfect for your neighbor's house. If you purchase a new set of dinner dishes, see if a neighbor may need your older set. One of the most popular things in our exchange has been young childrens' clothing and toys. Books are also very popular and can be exchanged over and over. Creative people in our neighborhood contribute homemade items that can not be purchased but are treasures of the neighbors.

Children in our neighborhood are now setting up their own little corner store concept and learning to exchange among themselves. In doing so, they are learning how to share, how to operate a business, and how to help their neighbors.

By sponsoring a neighborhood exchange every few months you can help those around you obtain things they may need without bruising their dignity. Everyone is involved in exchanging, and in our neighborhood there is always something everyone has need of.

What we did in out neighborhood, was similar to a yard sale. We put out fliers to the neighbors asking that they bring items they no longer had need of, and exchange with something they wanted from another neighbor. When all was said and done, the items left were donated to a local charity.

It took a couple of gatherings to get this concept off the ground, but it is now very successful in our neighborhood. Everyone looks forward to the next one. We have even had groups of neighbors begin game nights with each other building new alliances that grow and grow.

In this swap meet type of gathering, we have gotten to know neighbors we may never have known. It has truly brought our neighborhood together as a community.