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Sustainable Salvage: Second Chance Inc. and The Doe Fund

My brother Justin pointed out a very cool company based in Baltimore with operations in Philadelphia and Washington. Not only do they deconstruct/excavate old building sites in order to salvage unique pieces, they restore and refurbish these pieces for sale. This is no small operation. They have multiple warehouses, in which you can find anything from kitchen cabinetry to custom coffee tables. BTW we're talking more Home Depot than mid-century vintage showroom here. But the part he liked best about Second Chance, Inc. was their employee training program, in which they hire and train disenfranchised, local residents to make the restorations. I like The Doe Fund, too, for hiring homeless men and women, for public clean-up, restoration and renewal efforts, not to mention building low-income housing. 

Freecycle it!

My future S-I-L has discovered the joys of "freecylcling", most recently after having  bequeathed their grill 1.0 to some SF State kids who came and took it off their hands. She posted via Craigslist but there's also a huge Freecycle network, birthed in Tucson (LOVE), but available nationwide.

I, too, benefited from this when I gave away an old office desk. In my post, I also requested that the new owners tip my super for operating the freight. This helped me get more points with one disgruntled Eric (a.k.a. the Puerto Rican Schneider). There's something appealing about reverting towards a barter  economy.  Maybe hitchhiking will also make a comeback amongst folks other than smelly, hackysacking hippies?

The Two Hand Carry

Obvious, I know, but how underutilized is the simple technique of distributing the burden of a heavy bag between two people? This saved my friend Jo and I from taking a cab 10 blocks to go to dinner. (It was hot and two of these blocks were Avenues). It also made the utility tote an entity unto itself, rather than being one person's style choice.

Swag Bag Rescue Relief

Unless you're being betrothed at the Academy Awards parties, swag bags contain 95% junk. While the number of VIP events I attend has waned steadily (plummeted!) in the last five years, I still get to go to the occasional event. One notable recent score was from a People Magazine pre-party for the White House Correspondents Dinner, which contained a beautiful Chanel skincare sampler, a box of Ted Gibson hair towelettes and absolutely no discount cards, vouchers, coupons or key chains! What does one do with all this stuff but throw it out or keep it piled up in the 'guest hospitality' basket?

Now, there is a solution! I'm traveling to the Philippines to visit my grandmother in August, and I am asking for any and all swag bag rejects and free samples to take along. Happy to take that Bath and Body Works watermelon and spice foot scrub and that Heineken bottle opener key chain from you.

Lots of relatives and helpers, and most of the middle/working classes, do not have the luxury of buying anything beyond what is immediately necessary. Trust me, we could also take heed. And they certainly aren't going to magazine parties to get treated to bags with coveted western brand names. For all of us "influencers" spoiled by the gracious marketing and PR coordinators who wanted our positive word of mouth, I am now rallying us to spread positive word of mouth to the far reaches of southeast Asia! Samples make great gifts and are totally appreciated. Holler.

Swag Bag Rescue Relief items can be sent to my attention c/o Fox Greenberg Public Relations until August 1st.

Jeannine Magno
Fox Greenberg Public Relations
48 West 21st Street, Suite 1000
New York, NY 10010