THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 6, 1994 TAG: 9411040288
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
It's a cross between a flea market, a thrift shop and a three-ring circus, but with one difference. A big one.
They all run on money.
At the swaps at Kempsville Presbyterian Church three times a year, everything is free.
Well, not quite.
``Shoppers'' are asked to bring whatever they have that they don't need so that others can carry it away. Come in with a jacket and take home a juicer or a pair of slacks or even some dishes.
No one monitors the give and take. It just works. Like the loaves and the fishes of biblical yore.
Last weekend was the church's Toy and Fall Super Swap. Although not widely publicized, the public was welcome. And come and swap and shop they did, in droves. About 1,000 people showed up to dig through piles of shoes, stacks of sweaters and shirts and boxes of knickknacks such as bibs, figurines, toy cars, dolls, office supplies and more.
The swaps are an outgrowth of The Clothing Closet, a larger year-round exchange ministry at the church. Sherry Bragg, director of The Clothing Closet, explained: ``I started it about eight years ago. It came out of Regent University, where some moms and wives of students needed a way to save money. They were coming here, away from their families, where they'd have had access to hand-me-downs. It started out with children's clothes. It grew and we asked Kempsville Presbyterian Church to house it.''
About 50 volunteers representing eight to 10 area churches make the event happen, according to Bragg. They come from ``all over, as far away as North Carolina.''
Kathleen Young was searching through the stacks of items piled high on folding tables. ``It's great,'' she said. ``It's a fun way to exchange treasures.'' She brought another family with her. ``It's been a blessing for them,'' she said.
Brittany Simmons, 8, a third-grader at Daniels Christian School, was with Young.
She was delighted with the swap. ``I got a Skip-It and mom got a book with my name on it. And I got a tool box.''
Nancy Simmons, Brittany's mother, said: ``I think it's great. I found a lot of nice things. Lots of nice Christmas presents, too. I hadn't planned on staying long, but I've stayed quite a while.''
Craig and Paula Ridge were shopping together. ``We like it pretty well,'' said Craig Ridge. ``My wife comes back every year. We go to church here and give some clothes every year. Paula's found some shirts and blouses that she can mix and match for work.''
His wife added, ``It's a big help on the clothing bill.''
According to Bragg there's a house rule that nothing taken at the swap can be resold. Many of the items offered are contributed by clothing stores, drug and discount stores, catalog mail-order companies, restaurants, bakeries, doughnut and pizza shops and grocery stores.
``Lots of grocery stores give us dented cans, things they've written off and can't sell in the stores,'' said Victoria Aboagye, co-senior manager of the operation.
This year, for the first time, the fall and December swaps were combined into one, so the next one will be in the spring. Bragg is preparing to leave for Atlanta in December where her husband, a news producer with Trinity Broadcasting, is being transferred.
Her understudy, Patty Nowell, assistant clothing closet director, is all set to step into her shoes. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
Paula and Craig Ridge, members of Kempsville Presbyterian Chruch,
look through clothes at ``Toy and Fall Super Swap'' last Saturday.
by CNB