2nd trade: 7 nails - ????

As we mentioned in the the earlier post our first trade was our story for 7 hand-cut nails from Blackhawk Hardware located in the Park Road Shopping Center.  

Now is your chance to get involved.  As you can see below these are some pretty cool nails. You'll love the worn feel and look of these nails.  If you have something you would like to trade simply leave a comment below or send an email, our next swap will be on December 7th.  We will consider all trades and look forward to getting one step further in our quest to help a local Charlotte family. 

1st trade: It all starts with an idea!

"If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."

                                                                                              ~Albert Einstein

What is an idea?  Webster defines an idea as a a formulated thought or opinion. Ideas run the gauntlet from simple thoughts about how to make a sandwich to how to change the world.  Our idea is somewhere in the middle.  The basic premise is quite simple. We want to help a homeless family in Charlotte, NC, get back on their feet by providing them a house free of charge. We want to accomplish this quest by inviting the community to actively participate in a trade-a-thon.  We want to barter our way up to a new house, by posting items on the website and soliciting offers via the comment sections and by email.  

One of the hardest parts about starting a journey like was actually deciding what object we should start the trade with.  We originally planed to purchase some simple nails you would find on any construction site. We found the idea of a nail fitting seeing how the first step to building a house starts with a single nail.  Imagine our surprise when one of our team members came back last week with pouch of nails and a smile on her face.  It turns out that when she went to Blackhawk Hardware and told the guys about our project they offered us our first trade.  They offered us 7 "hand-cut" square head nails for our story.  It was a deal we could not refuse. So thanks to the amazing staff at Blackhawk Hardware we are now officially off the ground with Swaptotherooftop.org.

Swap to the Rooftop press release

            
WHAT:     “SWAP TO THE ROOFTOP.”
   

WHEN:    Thursday, November 24rd, 2010
   

WHERE:    WWW.SWAPTOTHEROOFTOP.ORG

WHY:    Swap to the rooftop grew out of an Advertising Copywriting class project at CPCC. The project has been continued by a handful of dedicated students. They are helping the local community through a series of trades which will eventually yield a house. The house will then be awarded to a family in need. Inspiration emerged from The Red Paper Clip story and learning about the local homeless community. The students wanted to help and designed this project in response.

HOW:    On Thanksgiving Day, the bartering will begin with a box of nails. At the end of the bidding, the last trade will be for a house. Trading will be conducted through www.swaptotherooftop.org, and will continue until a house is obtained.

    The family who is awarded the house will be chosen at the end of February 2011. Families are encouraged to write their stories in a letter and send to POB 9185, Charlotte, NC 28299. Eligible families will have experienced hardship and have lost their home over the last two years. Preference will be given to families with school age children.

    Letters are accepted beginning Thanksgiving Day through February 25, 2011. All responses will be kept confidential, including the family chosen unless they wish to become an inspiration by publicizing their story of triumph.