Giant swap meet aims to find second use for unwanted items

A swap meet that aims to reduce waste and support Oxford County residents, including Ukrainian refugees who recently settled in the area, will be held in Zorra Township this weekend.

Local agencies are teaming up to host the free clothing and household item swap on Saturday from 8:30 am to noon at the Embro Zorra Community Centre, northwest of Woodstock.

The concept behind the event is simple. “People bring stuff. Other people say ‘Oh, I want that,’ and away they go with it,” said Bryan Smith, head of the Oxford Coalition for Social Justice.

The result is a more sustainable way to recycle unwanted items and take home some finds that would otherwise go to waste.

“It’s a great way for families and people to get things,” Smith said, adding it also encourages “organizations to take whatever they need to stock up, so they can help people who don’t have access to clothing and other things because of economic reasons.”

The county has hosted a swap event, dubbed Reuse-A-PalaooZahaeach year since 2014, its first few years under a different name.

Part of the fun is in the name. “It’s a tongue twister,” Smith said. “That ‘aha’ at the end of it is that ‘aha’ moment of ‘No, I don’t have to throw that out. It’s still useful.’ ”

New this year is the event’s emphasis on supporting Ukrainian refugees who recently fled their wartorn country and settled in Oxford, Smith said, estimating there are about five families in Zorra Township and several others across the county.

Not only can newcomers and their host families participate in the event, but they’ll also have a chance to mingle with residents who may be thinking about hosting or getting involved.

“We’ve invited (hosts) and Ukrainians to come have a table there, talk to the people that are coming through about what it is they’re doing, elicit additional assistance from other members of the community,” and take items of immediate or projected need for Ukrainians who have settled or will be arriving the coming months, Smith said.

Along with the Oxford Coalition for Social Justice, other agencies organizing the swap are Transition to Less Waste, Ingersoll District Nature Club, Oxford Green Watch and the Oxford People Against the Landfill (OPAL) Alliance.

Attendees can drop off their items at the community center before 11 am Examples of recycled items include household goods, clothing, books, toys, garden equipment, decor, small electronics, wooden furniture, auto parts and accessories. But they are asked to refrain from bringing anything upholstered or hazardous.

One year, Smith recalled, someone went as far as to bring a bathtub. “Someone left with it, with plans to sink it in their garden as a fishpond,” he said enthusiastically.

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