Community Value

Hard to believe it’s been a year since I was laid off.

Like most people, there were highs and lows. On dark days, I panicked about the future of my career and the loss of my income. On blissful days, I basked in my great luck to have more time to delight in my toddler son.

One of the great things that I, and many people, have discovered is that unemployment allows you the time to connect with family and friends.

Since my parents live in Ohio, and my brother Erik, in Wisconsin, I usually see my family twice a year. But in the year that I’ve been unemployed I’ve see them every few months. Why not? No vacation days to keep track of. It’s a special thrill that my son is now so familiar with his uncle and grandparents.

I’ve also noticed ways in which the recession is bringing people together.  Seems as if there’s a silver lining to this very dark cloud.

Or, in the case of some friends, a gold lining—as in gold parties. With the price of the precious metal soaring, the gold parties trend began to take off last fall. Women, mostly, gather at someone’s home bearing jewelry they no longer wear. A gold buyer, armed with equipment, determines its carat content and weight. And voila! An abandoned bracelet is transformed into a check.

Lisa Maxwell of Worthington, Ohio, a working mom of two, attended a gold party recently at a neighbor’s house.

“I went for the camaraderie and the money,” she says. Though her payout was only $87, she says the value of the party was in meeting new people. “Everyone was bonding,” she says, “telling stories about their jewelry and about how much they’d made.”

There was a similar vibe at the New York City apartment of Nilsa Martinez, who held a clothes swap last January.  No money changed hands, only gently-used clothing and household items.

Everyone came with a bag or two and laid their wares out in the center of Nilsa’s living room. The night proceeded with wine, appetizers and a hunt for treasures.

“You can’t deny that there’s a thing with women and clothes, and there’s this incredible phenomenon of finding things for other people, like ‘Oh this would be perfect for you.’ There are just a lot of positives that come out this party,” Nilsa says.

Another type of gathering is the “pink slip party” organized by Marisa Cogan of JobCircle.com. Job seekers meet up with recruiters in a casual spot like a bar rather than in a booth-jammed conference hall. The happy by-product is that people end up commiserating, and realize they’re not alone.