Remember to Buy Nothing on Friday, November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving. Instead, do something for your community, your family, your world.
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Tagged alternative gift giving, buy nothing day, consumerism, recycling, reusing
Last year the Desert Greens held it first Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange. It was fun and proved to be very meaningful.
This year we held it in a different location.
The 2007 Second Annual Winter Coat Exchange was successful and larger than 2006!
We had about 400 coats donated (up from 100 last year), as well as hats, gloves, and scarves! I was so successful this year that we are considering expanding to two locations for next year.
2007 Event Videos and Photos
Scott Fife Provides Live Entertainment
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Tagged Activism, buy nothing day, conservation, consumerism, Green Party, Utah
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, buy nothing day, conservation, consumerism, environment, recycling, reducing, reusing
I am very happy with the Winter Coat Exchange that took place yesterday.
What made it all worthwhile was being able to give coats away to folks from all socio-economic levels. Well-off folks took coats, driving home the concept of reusing; Women with children that had been referred to us by a local social agency came and took coats. One young man, dressed in very thin, practically sleeveless, clothes was looking at the coats and started to walk away. We told him he could take a coat and he said “for FREE?”. We explained the coat exchange. He walked away with a warm coat on a rather cold day. He was one of many like this.
A veteran picked out a coat and profusely thanked us and stayed around to chat for awhile. An older man exchanged his thin hoodie for a warmer jacket.
Folks who donated appeared with arm loads of coats and sweaters with smiles on their faces. Some stayed and participated and others dropped off their donations as part of their errand-running for the day.
The smiles were priceless. The looks of content as folks walked away with warm clothing were “warming” in themselves.
Although we got lots of media to show up, I haven’t seen anything appearing on the TV stations that covered us, nor in the papers today. I think there were stories more important than ours to put in today’s news. But that’s o.k. We got the coverage of the feature article in “IN Utah this week” magazine and hopefully our sound bytes will be on KCPW radio Monday or Tuesday. We were listed on multiple community calendars and the Deseret News announced it as an article in the Utah section on Thursday. The reporters/videographers/photographers that did show up shared personal stories with us and it was obvious that they enjoyed being with us rather than at the stampedes at the shopping malls – by virtue of the fact that they stayed around for a long time.
The left over coats are being taken to Crossroads Urban Center Thrift Store next week.
Start saving your coats – Next year this will be even bigger. Thanks to all who participated in any way with this – from donating and coming down to hang out, to printing out flyers and posting and publicizing to all your friends, co-workers, and clients. And a special thanks to the Green Party of Rhode Island for the inspiration to do this, which got this coverage of their event:
The Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange has made it into today’s news:
Other sites announcing this event:
Salt Lake City Weekly
Green Bloggers
Adbusters
This is our 1st Annual Buy Nothing Day Coat Exchange. This year we have
several community co-sponsors.
As a positive, community-affirming event on this day, we are asking people to reflect on the effects of consumerism to our communities and our planet. At the same time, we are asking people to donate a winter coat they no longer need to the Coat Exchange so that it can be given to someone who needs one.
It’s not whether or not you go out for some groceries or some Christmas presents. We want people and governments to truly focus on taking care of each other and the earth, but life goes on. We do not expect to have an economic impact this year or any time soon, but we want people to think
about whether the frenzy of consumption actually helps people live better lives or take better care of their communities.
The developed countries, with 20% of the world’s population are consuming over 80% of the earth’s natural resources. Countries have always been willing to go to war for valuable resources, and the 21st century is no exception, which is why the developed countries are able to access 80% of
the world’s resources while a billion people go hungry every day and natural disasters turn into cultural disasters. The effects of over- consumption are widely apparent: global warming, deforestation, poverty, crime, despair, soil erosion, polluted water, sprawl and war.
The Holidays are more than simply consuming more and more goods and feeling we have to buy expensive presents. People want to have an enjoyable, satisfying, secure, comfortable life How many of us can honestly say we look forward to the holiday pressures awaiting us at each
year’s end. By mutual consent we trap ourselves in materialistic interpretations of holidays that are sacred.
It makes little sense to increase consumption, destroy the planet, or go to war when all it is upholding is an economy based on keeping wages as low as possible and inequality as high as possible. Surely there has to be a better way. Buy Nothing Day is about that. So if it pleases you, buy nothing for one day. As a substitute give something away to someone else who needs it more than you do. Clean out your closet and join the celebration of life on Earth. We believe you will feel better. Then please continue to think about what you buy, why you buy it, and the effects of its production on the world and the people who live here, throughout your life. Continue reading
Tonight I and several other folks were interviewed byin Utah this week, the weekly entertainment and event magazine of the Salt Lake Tribune. The focus of the article will be Buy Nothing Day and the Desert Greens Winter Coat Exchange.
The issue will be out on Thanksgiving Day.
Yesterday I posted a piece on Buy Nothing Day and consumerism.
Some family members have communicated to us that they do not want the traditional gifts this year at Christmas and have made this request.
Consider making a donation to Food for the Poor instead of buying a material gift. We have so much and there are many in Latin America and the Caribbean who have nothing. Food for the Poor has a 96% fundraising efficiency rate, with less than 4% of donations going towards administrative costs.
I will be updating my Café à la Green page to promote alternative ideas for gift giving this season.
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Tagged Activism, buy nothing day, consumerism, environment, gift giving, green, holidays, peace
Every year, Americans engage in the consumer frenzy the day after Thanksgiving – “Black Friday” – the official first shopping day of the Christmas season.
Every year also, other Americans participate in Buy Nothing Day, a day dedicated to educating consumers on the pitfalls of consumerism.
In Salt Lake City this year, the Desert Greens has organized a Winter Coat Exchange. In addition, Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs, Utah’s Radical Cheerleaders (of which I am a member!) will entertain shoppers and anti-shoppers alike with anti-consumerism carols. And, of course, the Bush Chain Gang will be making an appearance!
If you’ve never taken part in Buy Nothing Day, or if you’ve taken part in the past but haven’t really committed to doing it again, consider this: 2006 will go down as the year in which mainstream dialogue about global warming finally reached its critical mass. What better way to bring the Year of Global Warming to a close than to point people in the direction of real and effective alternatives to the unbridled consumption that has created this quagmire?
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This just in:
The Peace Company has peace gifts in every price range. Here are some features:
As this year draws to a close and our thoughts turn to the holidays and time with friends and family, we ask you to help make the spirit of peace the way we live – everyday. By planting seeds of peace within your heart and sharing them with others, we truly can help make peace more pervasive in our societies.
The Peace Company’s mission is to help make peace the way we all relate to the world. We offer merchandise and educational opportunites to enable anyone to walk the path of peace. Please help spread peaceful possibilities by sharing gifts of peace this holiday.
Continue reading
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Tagged Activism, buy nothing day, environmnet, gift giving, green, holidays, peace
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 