One great idea! Two friends who both have heart to help people! One E.T.C Afternoon (Everything To Charity). Read about their charity clothing sale and see how you can organize one to help those around you who are in need!

Melissa England and Kari Newsom

 

The following article is written by Melissa England, a journalist/writer and good friend from Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

 

How It All Started

Months and months ago, I was flipping through a magazine and came across a feature on women helping other women. There were a number of good ideas in the article, but one that jumped out at me was the idea of a clothing exchange. This wasn't just your normal skirt and shirt swap, this was a chance for women to get together, have fun, buy some great clothes at amazing prices, and help out those in need. I knew that I couldn't do this by myself, and immediately my good friend Kari popped into my mind as a fellow "planner" who might want to help out.



The Planning

Planning the party was actually a really good excuse for Kari and I to get together and catch up. No, really, we did do our fair-share of chatting, but we also came up with a party plan during our coffee
get-togethers at Sisters Espresso, a wonderful Victorian coffee
house in downtown Littleton. Kari gained a new appreciation for soy lattes and we worked out the details for our party. We each had a folder with our special "to-do" list inside, and as we sipped our cafes we decided who would do what. We brought magazine clippings with party favor ideas, and created a yummy menu of appetizers and beverages. After two meetings, we were set!



The Invitation

In keeping with the idea that this party was to benefit others, Kari and I focused on how we could keep our costs low. First to go was the standard paper invitation. We opted for an electronic invitation, and Evite.com came to the rescue. The website offered many different looks, and we found one that was perfect for our party. After gathering e-mail addresses, we decided what we needed to put on the invitation. Since this was a first not only for us but for our guests, we needed to be specific about what kinds of clothes to bring, etc. We suggested guests bring only clothes that they themselves would want to buy. This was very important to us...if you wouldn't wear it, why would anyone else?
(to view our invitation, click here)



The Location

Kari and I chose to host the party at my house, which was perfect for a small gathering. Had all of our invitees attended, we may have been spilling out onto the patio or into the garage! For larger gatherings, a conference room at a hotel, or a church, would be a great option. My front room served as the "store" while the living room and kitchen were the social areas.

The Menu

Planning the menu was one of the most fun parts of the planning process, as Kari and I both like to make (and eat!) good food. We chose a menu that was light but filling, since the party started in the early afternoon and some guests may have skipped lunch. We chose appetizers like tortilla roll-ups, cream cheese with jalapeno jelly and crackers, salsa and chips, veggies and dip, and Kari's fantastic shortbread. We also offered soda and margaritas, both alcholic and
non-alcholic, since many of our girlfriends are expecting or new moms. The food looked great and tasted even better!



The Set Up and Design

Setting-up for the party was relatively easy...I moved a loveseat out of the front room to make way for the garment racks in the "store" part of my house, and set-up a coffee table in the living room so guests had a place to put their drinks and snacks. We also put up a card table that served as our cash register, which consisted of a beautiful glass box and everyone using the honor system to pay for what they were taking home with them. Kari made cute little tags that we wrote the prices on, and we hung all the clothes on nice, plastic-covered wire hangers. I covered my kitchen table with a bright, cheery tablecloth, full of reds, oranges, and blues, and placed a vase of terracotta-colored tulips in the middle along with a vanilla candle. Vanilla tealights were placed all around the house, to give the rooms a welcoming and comfy scent. For the serving pieces, Kari brought fun, funky colored plastic glasses that we used for the margaritas and the soda. To add a finishing touch, Kari rimmed each glass with bright blue sugar and a lime, just to give it a little pizazz!



The Party

Our guests began to arrive around 1 pm, and were welcomed at the door. Once we had collected their many bags of clothes, we offered them something to drink and invited them to make up a plate of
snacks and catch-up with the other guests. While our guests were eating and chatting, we began the marathon clothes pricing! Our very generous guests brought more clothes than we could have ever imagined, and we scrambled to get price tags on all the clothes and accessories. With our garment racks full and price tags running out, we laid out the clothes that remained and opened the shop for our guests' shopping pleasure! We were both surprised and excited at how much fun our guests had shopping! For the next 2 hours we shopped, snacked, socialized, and just had a ball!



The Outcome

At the end of the shopping sprees, Kari and I were both shocked to learn that we had collected over $120 for the Gathering Place. We were hoping to amass $30, so to break $100 was unbelievable! Our wonderful guests helped us package up the remaining clothes in bags to take down to the Denver Urban Ministries, where women in need can go to find good clothing. We were surprised when we realized we had 6 large bags to deliver!