the treasure chest

i know - just from the title of the blog you want to know what a person named "treasure" could be posting about when she has the title "the treasure chest" right???

well my friend, k, over at disneysworld5.blogspot.com saw the idea and started it. it's the "treasure chest". she found a website that described exactly what the "treasure chest" is.

"do you have odds and ends that you no longer need? are you a "green" thinker, hating to throw items away that are still useful? do you enjoy trading and swapping and just treasure hunting in general? is your mantra "one man's junk is another man's treasure?" do you enjoy being thrifty and love to recycle; taking cast-offs and finding a new use for them? do you know other like-minded souls that live in your neighborhood or that you see on a regular basis? if you can answer yes to any of these questions then why not start a community treasure chest?"

"you will need to find 5-10 like-minded friends, neighbors, c0-workers, community, club or church members. it helps if you are in contact with each other on a daily or at least weekly basis. purchase a medium sized rubber tote with handles and a lid. an 18-gallon tote is large enough for a nice selection of items but small enough that it is easy to carry and to load in the trunk of a car. i suggest you attach a wire bound notebook that includes a list of all members and their phone numbers as well as the treasure chest rules. with these minor details out of the way, you are ready to begin."

"the object of the chest is for members to pass on or trade clothing and/or other items in good condition that they no longer have a use for with hopes that those items may find a home elsewhere. at the same time this gives each member the opportunity to acquire new treasures at no cost to them; thus extending the life of these items by continuing to recycle them within the community and keeping them out of the trash. it also gives members the opportunity to advertise items that are too large or too perishable to be placed in the chest."

"the treasure chest works something like this. the first member on the list deposits their cast off treasures into the tub and passes it on to the next person. the next member may then take any or all the items from the tub that they find useful. then they add their own cast offs to the menagerie of treasures and pass it onto the next member on the list. the chest continues down the list moving from household to household until it has gone full circle and comes back the first member. the first member then gets to pick from the treasures and removes any of their original items that have been left in the chest after making a complete cycle. the first member again adds items looking for new homes. it continues to be passed on with each member removing their items that have made the full circle, helping themselves to new items and then again adding more unwanted items. each member is required to let the monitor know when they have passed it on and to whom. the monitor helps keep the chest moving smoothly and promptly."

here are the rules:

1. you are welcome to take as many items from the chest as you find useful. please share the contents with family and friends. they are free.

2. try to contribute at least one items per cycle. this can be a household item, clothing, or shoes. these must be clean and in good condition. you are welcome to contribute as much as the chest will easily hold.

3. please keep the chest moving. pass it on to the next person promptly, preferable within 3 days. make sure to call the monitor when you have passed it on.

4. when the chest has made a full cycle and returned to you, please remove any of your previously donated items and pass them on to charity. this will allow us to always have room for new items.

5. no soiled, tattered, or bulky clothing or rags, no heavy items such as large quantities of books, appliances, cleansers, or paint. please advertise these in the ad section of the notebook.

6. food must be sealed and within the package's expiration dates. other food items can be advertisemen the notebook.

7. please keep the chest neat and tidy, refold items after looking at them.

8. the attached notebook contains member's names, phone numbers, and chest rules with the remainder of the notebook devoted to classified ads. use as much as you want. please mark out any old ads that are no longer applicable. remember to include your name and contact number or email with your add. please make sure the notebook remains with the chest.

my friend, k, gave me the treasure chest today. inside were some household items, books, dvds, and such. i have several things i am going to take out and several items to put in. the notebook has the list of rules, members, a section for the classified ads, and she also added a prayer request section. there is a certain order of people we will go by, but the online site said you could change up the order every 6 months or so. they had their community chest going for about 3 years.

we all have items we have purchased or gifts given us that we have never used. this is a great way to recycle them if you don't have time to have a garage sale. i like to be able to give things away to someone that i know can use them. anyway, i thought this was a great idea when asked about it so i thought i would share it with you.


**all the information came from http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/coates114.html. **