Global Gifts, a fair trade shop in the Short North, will host a jewelry and accessories swap this weekend. Credit: Courtesy of Amy Phillips-Gary
Global Gifts is offering the chance to change up your wardrobe while giving back to the local community Sunday.
The nonprofit, fair-trade shop in the Short North will be hosting a free jewelry and accessories swap and donating the leftover items to Dress for Success, an organization that helps underprivileged women succeed in the working world by providing appropriate interview and work attire.
Anyone interested can attend the swap and bring gently used jewelry, bags and scarves. Participants will lay out their items, draw numbers and then take turns in order picking new items, said Amy Phillips-Gary, assistant manager and volunteer coordinator at Global Gifts, who organized the event.
“We’re coming up on Valentine’s Day and we’ve done a swap in the past, but I think this is the perfect time of year to treat yourself to less clutter in your closet and jewelry box and treat yourself to something new that someone else has passed along,” she said.
Global Gifts help its first swap in 2014 shortly after the shop opened, and donated the leftover items to Dress for Success then as well. Phillips-Gary said she originally got the idea to host a jewelry and accessories swap from participating in other types of swaps.
“Part of it’s just me wanting an excuse to sort through my stuff and declutter and I thought this way it would be giving back and also treating myself at the same, so it’s a win-win,” she said.
About a dozen people attended the first swap, but Phillips-Gary said she is hoping there will be more attendance this weekend.
Alissa Head, store manager, said she believes the swap fits perfectly with Global Gifts’ fair-trade mission.
“As a fair-trade organization, environmental responsibility is one of our principles, so [having] a swap where people can bring things that are still really nice, but they just want to try something new or want something different, is a nice way to reuse and promote environmental sustainability,” Head said.
Similarly, Dress for Success’ mission also aligns with Global Gifts’ mission.
“One of the tenants of fair trade is gender parity which means we promote gender equality. Women should be paid the same as men and Dress For Success’ mission is close to our mission in that way,” Head said. “It’s a way for women to get back on their feet and back in the
workforce [after any setback], but helping women support themselves and be paid fairly. That’s what Dress for Success does so it’s in line with our mission too.”
The swap will be held at Global Gifts’ location in the Short North at 682 N. High St. from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday and free snacks and fair-trade coffee samples will be available.
