The parking lot outside Prince Lucien Campbell Hall housed more than cars on Saturday: Coffee tables, old TVs and a plushy heap of sofas lay in the corner as the University held its first-ever furniture swap for students and the community.
The swap, a product of the Office of the Dean of Students and a number of local groups, served as a place for people to bring furniture of all kinds to trade or donate. Its main aim was to provide students with a cheap and sustainable alternative to the city dump, or what is more commonly the case, their front yards. Another swap will be held this next weekend, and organizers hope they can catch students before they migrate home for the summer.
“I think it is a responsibility that everybody has to dispose of their stuff in an appropriate manner,” said Jackson Hite, a University junior and current chairman of the West University Neighbors.
The West University Neighbors is a community association that helped plan the swap. Two years ago, the group attempted to hold a similar event in collaboration with the Central Presbyterian Church, but timing and funding issues prevented it from having much success.
That changed this year. With support from the University, along with a $1,000 grant from the Kilkenny Foundation, coordinators were able to promote the swap with radio ads, Craigslist ads and fliers sent to local property managers. Coordinators also blanketed Facebook with messages, persuading many students to swing by with at least a few items.
Mari Mizobe was one such student. She arrived with coat-hangers, cookware and a bin of small appliances.
“I like the idea of swapping and reusing things. I just think it’s better than buying new stuff,” Mizobe said. “It’s great to come out and show support for an event like this so it will be around in following years.”
The swap featured several prominent charity groups, including Habitat for Humanity and the Society of St. Vincent DePaul. A large percentage of donations from the swap also went to the Looking Glass Independent Living Skills Program, a project that helps foster children move into their first apartments. Emily Reiman, a member of the Looking Glass program’s staff, said contributions are particularly helpful this time of the year.
“We have a lot of high school students who graduate and then want to move out that summer,” Reiman said. “So it’s perfect timing: UO students are trying to get rid of things just when these kids begin looking for them.”
Next week’s furniture swap will be held Saturday, June 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to furniture, contributors can bring unwanted household items, clothes and books. The swap will have locations at both the Central Presbyterian Church, 555 E. 15th Ave., and the Koinonia Center parking lot, 1414 Kincaid St.
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