Swap Til You Drop - 28th June

Dear friends,

On behalf of the swap team, I would like to thank every single swapper who braved the chilly, early Sunday morning and came to Crown Hotel to support our swap party fundraiser! Thanks to the generosity of our 80 or so swappers, and the hard work of my team and the Oaktree Foundation volunteers, we reached our initial target of $1000 in less than 2 hours!

It was great meeting our swappers, and based on the smiles and lovely comments and emails we have received, it seems like the event was a hit! We’re so happy to be able to contribute to the Timor-Leste Youth Livelihoods Foundation in a way that is also sustainable and beneficial for everyone involved. The success of our swap party stands as testament to the idea that one person’s ‘trash’, can truly be somebody else’s ‘treasure’ – we were so amazed by all the items that people were coming in and leaving with!




This swap party fundraiser was our first event as a team. We were grouped via the amazing Oaktree Foundation, and personally, I felt really lucky to have had the privilege and fun of working with such lovely, passionate and enthusiastic people who willingly dedicated so much heart, effort and time into this fundraiser. Our swappers might recognise them as the smiley people in the red shirts running around frantically, constantly making sure everyone was happy. Watch this space, because I am sure that this is not the last you’ll hear of Amritha, Anna, Monique and the Oaktree Foundation Generate Volunteers! It was really cool to see so many people interested in getting involved – and for those wanting to make a difference, I would definitely recommend getting involved with any of the Oaktree initiatives, and checking out any of the Global Poverty Project presentations coming to a city near you!

Again, we would like to thank our swappers and supporters for a great event. The staff at Crown Hotel were absolutely amazing, Mark at Wagamama supported our event from our very first baby steps on Twitter, Alix and the Australian East Timor Association offered our swappers amazing goods woven by East Timorese women, Salone Scalone and Sparkles Cupcakery generously provided amazing treats for our swappers, the Be Lured team were on hand to pamper our swappers, and as you can see from these lovely pics, Sam Koh did an awesome job of capturing the moment. We would also like to thank everyone who helped spread the word about our event and cause. And finally, we would like to thank our amazing volunteers who came and helped us keep the event running on the day – Celeste, Alex, Mel, Kate, Lewis, Liz, they say that friends are there not only in good times, but also in times of need!

It means a lot to us that people came and supported our idea and our cause. Poverty is a confronting issue that isn’t just prominent amoung our streets – the challenges of poverty, hunger and disease loom large in the lives of hundreds of millions around the world. The aim of our swap party was not only to raise money to alleviate the poverty of East Timorese youth, but to also benefit our community by allowing people to exchange their pre-loved clothes, books, accessories and so forth with others in the spirit of greater sustainability, and donating the rest to various local charities. Whilst poverty in East Timor is not an issue commonly discussed here in Australia, it is still a poignant issue as ever. With only seven years to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, we are in urgent need of a reminder of the challenges of extreme poverty everywhere around the world, and the opportunities and necessity of more concerted and effective action to support improved livelihoods for the poorest billion people on our planet.

Thank you again to everybody involved in this event. We are excited to see the idea of the Oaktree swap party taking off – Melbourne and Brisbane, keep an eye out!

If you have any feedback, questions or comments you would like to make, we would love to hear them. Please feel free to leave a comment here, or email us at swaptilyoudrop09@gmail.com - we still check our email regularly and look forward to working together again and hearing from you,

Cheers and many thanks,
Felicity on behalf of Amritha, Anna and Monique – the best swap team ever!

Special Announcement

To all our lovely swappers and supporters,

With 2 days to go, we are really excited to announce that there will be amazing gifts for the first 150 swappers!! Come early to ensure that you get dibs on some really great stuff, and take home some gifts from our generous friends!

Boy, do we have a Wagamama surprise in stall for you!

We’ve always felt that dining at Wagamama feels like eating at a friend or relative’s place; they really take you in and fuss over you, they put extra heart & soul into your dish and they make sure you’re having a top notch time. You can imagine our total surprise and excitement when Mark from Wagamama contacted us about our event! Their fantastic service and enthusiasm for little folks like us is really testament to their “positive eating + positive living” mantra. We especially love the mouth watering chicken katsu, and recommend joining the frequent noodler program.

PS We’d also recommend following Mark on twitter @ noodle_bar … stalking just got a whole lot tastier.


Our talented friends at Be Lured Make Up Artistry & Mobile Pamper Events will there on the day to pamper you like a princess!

As Sydney’s best mobile beauty service, they offer the latest look in cosmetic beauty services such as manicures, pedicures, body treatments, bridal make up, special occasion make up, facials, relaxing massages, waxing, tinting, spray tanning. They were the masterminds behind the makeup of the models at the Le Black Book Event at the Ivy as part of Rosemount Fashion Week 2008. Contact the lovely Belinda if you’d like to feel and look beautiful for your special occasion!

Their next event is on the 17th of July - there'll be fantastic manicures, makeovers, massages, cocktails & canapes for $65/ticket. Not one to miss!

We will also have special treats for our swappers, courtesy of our fab friends at Sparkle Cupcakery!

With mouthwatering, adventurous flavours from Banana Toffee, to Green Tea & Bubbles, to Oriental Flower, we dare you to stop at just one! Each little gem is made from scratch and baked fresh every day, from the highest quality ingredients including free range eggs, creamy butter, the world’s best vanilla and Belgian chocolate. These cheeky indulgences are perfect for any special occasion – or just when you need a quick, tasty, pick-me-up :)



We are excited to announce that the hair wizards at Salon Scalone have kindly offered us vouchers for 30% off colour hair treatments on Mon-Fri for our swappers!!

Scalone Salon have been specialising in all modes of colouring, cutting, hair extending and thermal straightening, for eastern suburbs residents and film & TV personalities for well over 10 years, and would now like to share a special treat with our swappers! The fun won’t end when the swap party ends – come into their salon and enjoy a cappuccino or glass of wine and relax while they work their magic at an amazing 30% off. If you’re not happy, they’re not happy.

They have also kindly offered a service for the fashion parade winner! So be sure to snap up some great finds at the swap party, and bring on the catwalk!




The talented Sam Koh has kindly offered to be our style event photographer for the day!

Smile and strike a pose for our gallery. Check out Sam’s amazing photo gallery, and be sure to look at the photos of the recent Vivid event.

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We can't wait!!

Happy Swapping!

The Global Poverty Project - you are invited!

Hi everyone,

Are you ALL ready?

The countdown is on to the Global Poverty Project’s launch of ‘1.4 billion reasons’! - 45 presentations in 42 days…

As you may have heard or noticed on the Youtube Featured page, '1.4 billion reasons' is a thought provoking presentation that encourages audiences to make simple changes to their lifestyles, enabling the world’s poorest to break the poverty cycle.



The challenges of poverty, hunger and disease loom large in the lives of hundreds of millions, exacerbated by rising fuel and food prices, triggering inflation that hurts those in extreme poverty the most. The astonishing and continued growth of China and India mask the reality that the world’s poorest billion people – those living on less than one dollar a day – remain on the edge of existence. The world has fallen significantly behind our goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015, yet the world’s attention and cameras have moved away from the issue.

With seven years to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, we are in urgent need of a reminder of the challenges of extreme poverty, and the opportunities and necessity of more concerted and effective action to support improved livelihoods for the poorest billion people on our planet.

The Global Poverty Project will catalyse the international movement to end extreme poverty by creating a 90 minute feature slideshow that clearly but deeply communicates the challenges and opportunities of extreme poverty, and what can be done about it. It will be simple yet sophisticated, accessible for every person and grounded in best practice and scientific knowledge.

The GPP will present on how your everyday actions – in what you learn, say, buy, give and do - is connected to ending extreme poverty. Small actions at your end can create big opportunities for the world’s poorest.

We are excited to present the info for the Sydney launch event:
10th July 2009
7 - 11pm
The Barnett Long Room, Customs House
Alfred Street Circular Quay


We look forward to seeing you at this exciting event!

Places are limited so you MUST RSVP by 30 June 2009 to secure your place to: sydney.rsvp@globalpovertyproject.com

Don’t forget to invite your friends and family and RSVP for them too!

This event is a FREE event. Check: out the FB invite at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119722557994

To everyone at Usyd, you guys will be lucky enough to have the GPP come to you! Keep an eye out for more info and save the 10th of August.

Hope you can all make it – we’ll be there for sure!

A big thank you!

We have been really lucky thus far to have been blessed with such amazing support. We would like to thank everyone who has helped spread the word about our fantastic cause – The Timor-Leste Youth Livelihood Programme in conjunction with the Oaktree Foundation.

Swap ‘Til You Drop is an idea we developed as part of the Oaktree Foundation Generate Volunteer Program. Oaktree is an amazing, entirely youth-run organisation which is working to empower developing communities through education. It has provided us with the skills and confidence to branch out (pun not intended) and really push ourselves to help create lasting change in the lives of the disadvantaged. We have met some fantastic people who are passionate about raising community awareness and fundraising for great causes, and whom have played a huge role in the planning and promoting of Swap ‘Til You Drop – especially Mel and Lewis.

If you are interested in getting involved in making a difference, and have something amazing to offer the world around you, you should definitely consider getting involved with any of the Oaktree initiatives!

Why not organise or participate in a Barefoot Party this month too? To find out how you can get involved, check out the website and/or Twitter page.

The lavish lounges, beautiful Baroque wall, and friendly staff are just a few of the things that really set apart Crown Hotel as the perfect venue for our swap party and other special occasions! They have been so incredibly supportive of our cause, that we don’t know where we’d be – literally – without them.


Be sure to support our buds at fbi radio! Become a supporter today, and help keep the best new music and emerging sounds from Sydney, Australia and overseas, on air!
Tune in to 94.5 FM between 6-9am on Tuesday for our little shout-out. We would like to specially thank the lovely producer of the morning show on Tuesdays, Deelini Wettasinghe for her support!



It’s not every week that you get featured in 9 to 5 next to the Empire of the Sun guys! Pick up your copy every Monday to find out what’s on and what’s buzzing in Sydney. Don’t fret if you’ve accidentally missed the alarm, or hit the snooze button one too many times – you can catch up via a digital copy online.


Check out the City of Sydney website to find What’s On in Sydney! They do a fantastic job of keeping everyone in the loop with everything that’s happening, and we are really flattered to be featured on it.


If you are excited by the idea of finding something lovely to wear at Swap 'til You Drop, you will absolutely love the e-magazine MyLookBook!

The trendy girls at MyLookBook do a fantastic job of showcasing everything you love about fashion – beauty, trends, designers, awesome finds, and let’s face it, what other people are wearing. It is compiled by amazing designers & boutiques, with each image linking directly to their website or online store – that look you like is just one click away. The lovely Krista, who has been a great supporter of our cause and event, also updates the MyLookBook blog with great looks and finds.

Found something amazing from the Swap Party, but not quite sure how to wear it? MyLookBook will provide you with plenty of ideas and inspirations to create a look you will love. Looking stylish is as easy as sitting back and relaxing.



We were really stoked to be noticed by one of our fave Aussie blogs, Girl With a Satchel. We love Erica Bartle’s propensity for entwining interesting insights & credible critiques of magazines, with glimpses of glossies, covetable fashion, beauty, and all things pretty (and guiltily girly) in life… GWAS definitely makes for a compelling daily read!

For the latest in fashion, beauty and living, and for some fantastic shopping tips and trends, look no further than Shop Til You Drop! Check their newsletter for constant updates of bargains and events – including our Swap Party ;)

(The screenshot has been slightly modified.)

UTS Vertigo is a really cool website that isn’t just for UTS students – check it out for interesting interviews, reviews, events, and don’t miss out on the competitions!



Our friends at Grapeshot run the Macquarie Uni tri-weekly magazine, providing info, entertainment, and opportunities for all students to get engaged. Feel free to check out their neat blog!



Creativity. Activism. Careers. Fashion. Travel. Thoughts. Feelings. Confusion. Celebrations. Lip magazine gives perspective on these real issues through writing, art, fashion, photography and vision of their contributors, in a way that will make you laugh, make you cry, and give you something to think about.


With style to boot, My Style Australia is definitely a blog and website to keep an eye out for!

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This is just a preview of what’s to come! We are still working on making this swap party the best it can be. In the meantime, if you have Facebook, please rsvp to our event, to provide us with a rough number of guests to expect.

We hope you’re looking forward to the swap party too!

Amritha, Anna, Felicity, Monique x

PS If you can't make it to the swap party, and would still like to support us, please make a donation - your generosity will help us make a difference to the lives of East Timorese youth and families.

18 days to go!

Hi everyone!

With less than 3 weeks to go, here is some more info to get you excited about the swap party!

FAQs


DONATIONS


Q: How much is it, and how do I donate?
Great news guys- the asking price is now $15 at the door! Your generous donation will make a huge difference on the lives of East Timorese youth. Half a day of swapping (fun), provides for 15 days of much-needed sustainable education to provide them with the know- how to start up their own businesses and generate income for many years to come.

We would appreciate donations of any amount beyond that, please feel free to make any donations as you see fit on the day, or at our new online donation page.





A little goes a long way, and we would really appreciate it if you could help spread the word about this event!


Q: What do I get for my money?
Apart from a fantastic opportunity to swap clothes & accessories you don't wear for those you will, we will be providing great music, arts & crafts for you to get involved in. There will
also be a Wagamama surprise! For only $15, it's all too hard to say no to. Plus, we'll have some fashion stylists on board to help you out & stick around for the launch of our fashion show! Put on your new outfits & strut your stuff. Be photographed for our vintage style gallery!


Q: Where is my donation going?
Did you know that 42% of East Timorese live below the World Bank poverty line of $1US, and a startling 40% live below the extreme poverty line of $0.55US?

The adult literacy rate is a shocking 58% and in 2008, 80% of the youth were unemployed.

These devastating rates have been attributed partly to the lack of access to quality education.
Out of 100, only 8 will have tertiary education.

This is where we all step in.

Oaktree Foundation has partnered with the good folks at Plan Timor-Leste to develop the Timor-Leste Youth Livelihoods Program. Their overarching goal is to ensure that Timorese youth have access to adequate income and have the opportunity to participate productively in their communities through vocational training, business skills and life skills training specific to the needs of each group. The Program will work with 10 communities in Alieu (pronounced eye-lay-oh) to create 20-25 sustainable businesses.

You can help make a huge difference.

Just over $1 a day provides these youth with enough skills to form their own businesses and help generate income for the families and communities for many years to come.

For more info on this great cause, please head to www.planinternational.org/wherewework/asia/easttimor/ .

LOCATION

Q: How do I get there? Where is it?
We have been fortunate enough to secure the lavish Dome Bar at Crown Hotel! It is situated at 589 Crown St, Surry Hills – it is on the corner of Crown St and Cleveland St.

The hotel is a short walk, and an even shorter bus ride from Central Station.

The quickest way is to head to Elizabeth St near Kippax St (right across the road from the Central Station exit on Chalmers St/Elizabeth St), and catch any of the following busses:
· 343, 308, 309, or 310 - a 2min bus ride to Elizabeth St near Goodlet St and then approx 500m walk to Crown Hotel; or
· 393, 395, or 372 – a 5min bus ride to Cleveland St near Crown St. This bus drops you off pretty much in front of the hotel.

SWAPPING

Q: What should I bring?
Bring anything that you no longer wish to keep, and think someone else would actually want and wear. Please make sure that the items are clean, and in good condition – we will check all items at the door for signs of obvious wear and tear.

Please make sure that all clothes are on clothes hangers! We will keep record of the hangers you bring in and if you’d like, we’ll make sure you get the same number of hangers back.

So it’s probably for the best not to bring in any hangers you don’t want to let go of – those thin metallic hangers will do.

Please help the environment and re-use the bags you brought your items in – we will not be providing plastic bags.

Oh and please don’t be discouraged from coming to the party because you feel as though you have nothing to offer – you’ll never know who appreciates your style, size and generosity!

Q: How come you have a 1-for-1 token system? Why don’t you have different tokens for items of different value?
Basically, we don’t think it’s fair on you and everyone else that anyone, especially us, should judge how much your clothes are worth. As such, we’re going to place equal weighting on all items, and trust that you will find items you like, in place of items you no longer like. If you feel an item is too valuable, then perhaps it’s best that you consider not swapping it in. Remember, this is all in the name of fun and we don’t want you to regret anything!

Q: Can we try on the clothes?
Like we said above, we don’t want you to regret anything, so there will be a communal change room for you to try clothes on, so you might want to take this into account if you're a tad shy like me.

Q: What will happen to the rest of the clothes?
We will donate all of it to charity. We would like as many people as possible to benefit from our swap party :)

Many thanks for your support,

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique xx

Love a good market as much as we do? Check out The Village Markets

There's no better way to spend a long weekend than browsing the local markets for gorgeous fashion, art & treasure. If you're up on the Gold Coast this Sunday 7 June, join our friends at The Village Markets who've managed to bring together some of Queensland's most talented emerging fashion designers, artists & vintage buffs. Grab a friend & make a day of it. 

You're bound to discover a fabulous market gem. 

Check out their site for more details: http://www.thevillagemarketsgc.com.au/ 

SNEAK PREVIEW: There’s a whole lot more going on than just swapping...

We’ve been busy, busy bees whipping up new ideas to make your clothes swap even more exciting!

We’re in talks with the wonderful Alix Mandelson, who sells gorgeous bags and scarves which are handcrafted by East Timorese women. These items are intricately and beautifully made, and best of all, purchases of these handcrafts are helping support the amazingly talented women who build their livelihoods on the success of the items they painstakingly create. We were lucky enough to have Alix come speak to us at a recent Oaktree meeting. The work she is doing through the Australia-East Timor Association is truly inspirational. 

Wagamama (only the best noodle bar around, right?) found us (got to love the randomness of Twitter). A couple of Tweets later between us and the lovely Mark, and they just might be getting into our closet with us - shouting a special something for everyone who attends. 

And! (the closet is getting mighty crowded, but what can we say - we want you to have the best time!) There just might be personal stylists on hand to help you swap the perfect items for a whole new look.

One last thing: (we’re just bursting to share all this news with you!) the folks at Crown Hotel have been absolutely fantastic, offering exclusive use of their upstairs DOME Bar & Lounge. We’re digging the vibe. With gorgeous decor like this, how could you not?

Stay tuned,

Anna, Monique, Felicity & Amritha

xx

The NSW Oaktree Generate team

An exciting announcement!

Dear Lovelies,
Please click on the image see the details.

We would love to see you there!

Want to know more? Email us at swaptilyoudrop09@gmail.com,

Be our friend on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SwapTilYouDrop

Or check us out on Facebook

Thank you very much for your interest and support,

we are really excited, but insanely nervous at the same time!

Cheers,

Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique

Want guilt-free swapping? Here's how!

The Swap Til You Drop team have their arms full with all the clothes & accessories they're eager to swap. Doing some good for East Timor, while sipping champagne and trading in your old treasures for new ones? We can't wait!

So while you fashionistas are counting down the days until Sunday 28th June, we've compiled a list of steps that will help make your treasure hunt a success! Who knows what fabulous vintage finds await you?

Step 1. Search through your wardrobes, and pull out all those clothes and accessories you no longer wear. Dresses, shoes, clutches, pants, jewelry - swap it away!

There are absolutely no restrictions on the number of items you may bring (minimum: 1). The more you bring, the more you can walk away with.

We do ask that you please bring only gently used or new clothes that are wearable. If you'd lend it to a friend, it's good to be swapped with a stranger!

We will be checking all the items at the door for signs of obvious wear and tear, holes, pilling, etc, so please ensure that all items are in kept condition and have been cleaned prior to the day. Remember - only things someone else may want. Yes, that does mean no underwear!

Who knows? Your next LBD could be being pulled out of someone else's wardrobe right now, to be swapped with you!

Step 2. Bring all items to the door at 10 - 11am.

If you're bringing any women's or men's clothes, please make sure they are cleaned, neatly presented, and on hangers!

Any accessories should be in bags.

We all love to do our bit, so please help the environment and bring your own bags to take away your new clothes & accessories in. We won't be providing plastic bags.

For each item you bring in on the day, you will receive a token, which you can then use to exchange for another item.

Each item = 1 token, and vice versa.


Step 3. Sit back and relax til 11:30am when the doors will officially open.

Great music, bubbles and nibbles? We'll have it all. Why not bring your family and friends - make a day of it! There's nothing quite like trading in your old things for new on a lazy Sunday.

Step 4. Swap til you drop!

We will sort the clothes to make it easier for you to peruse.

Please respect your fellow swappers and swap in an orderly fashion – we all know how crazy shopping crowds can get!

There will be communal change rooms if you would like to try on items.


Step 5. Once you are happy with your selections, proceed to check-out where you may exchange the tokens for your new wardrobe!


Step 6. Stick around for the fashion parade!

Bring out your inner catwalk fierceness and strut it out in your new items - who knows, you may be snapped up for our “Vintage Style” Gallery Page! Have you got what it takes? Best dressed walks away with a fantastic prize! (We wish we could win it)




If, at the end of the day, there's anything that hasn't been swapped away, it will be donated to charities.

Looking forward to it? We know we are!

Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique
xx

What's got us eager to swap? East Timor's Youth Livelihoods Program

Swapping to help make poverty history for the youth of East Timor

Who are we?
Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique - four university students who, as part of The Oaktree Foundation, are raising funds next month in support of Timor-Leste's Youth Livelihoods Program. Doing your bit for East Timorese youth while swapping your way to a new wardrobe? There's really no better way to spend a Sunday.

What is The Oaktree Foundation?
In one word? Amazing. Oaktree is an entirely youth-run organisation which is working to empower developing communities through education. We believe education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle and creating lasting change in the lives of the disadvantaged.

Oaktree was founded in 2003, and is now established in NSW, ACT, QLD, SA, VIC and WA. We raise community awareness. We lobby the government. And we fundraise for our overseas projects.

Why do we care? It's simple. We know that this generation can - and will - be the ones to end poverty.

In the last six years, we have partnered with developing countries in six countries, directly empowering over 40,000 young people with access to increased educational opportunities.







'Make Poverty History', one of many Oaktree projects.


So why East Timor?

East Timor is Australia's closest neighbour. Yet it is also one of the world's poorest and youngest nations.

40% of the population live on less than $US0.55 per day.
Life expectancy is 56 years.
The adult literacy rate is only 58 per cent.
And one in ten children? They won't live to see their fifth birthdays.

Crucially, 43% of East Timor's youth remain unemployed. A lack of quality education and peer infrastructure has them facing an incredibly uncertain future.

This is where the ‘Youth Livelihoods Program’ comes in. Supported by the Oaktree Foundation, this program will work with 200 young people aged 16-30 from 10 communities within the district of Aileu, equipping these youth with the vocational, business and life skills training they need to create their own businesses and generate income to support themselves and their families.

When these youth are the future of East Timor, it is in their success that the reconstruction of an East Timor battered by political unrest and conflict lies.


Did you know that the unemployment rate in East Timor is a staggering 43%? You can help! Support the East Timor Youth Livelihoods Program."


The cost?

$375 will allow one East Timorese young person to participate in the program for one year.

$32 will support a young person for one month of the Project.

Just over a dollar a day will enable an East Timorese young person to complete the two year Project.

The clothes swap

Not only will this clothes swap allow us to raise money to alleviate the poverty of East Timorese youth (all proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the program!), but we'll also be exchanging our pre-loved clothes and accessories, and gaining a new wardrobe - all in the spirit of greater sustainability. It's one of those lovely win-win situations!

Your support counts

The Oaktree Foundation receives no ongoing funding and therefore relies upon the generous support of people like you.
When you purchase a ticket to join our clothes swap, you will be directly investing in the lives of Timorese youth - helping to achieve real and sustainable change.
We know that with your support, and love for clothes swaps, we could really make a strong contribution to empowering East Timorese youth and helping to make their poverty history.

Questions?

Leave us a comment. Shoot us an email. Tweet your heart out.
We want to hear them!

Our email: swaptilyoudrop09@gmail.com.

Intrigued about Oaktree?
Check out the official website: http://www.theoaktree.org/


Keep swapping,

Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique.

Co-Coordinators of ‘Swap Til You Drop 2009: Supporting Timor-Leste’s Youth Livelihood Program’.