SIDNEY — Spring is finally here — and so is garage sale season.
The Sidney First United Methodist Church is encouraging the public to stop by their upcoming garage sale set for the first weekend of May and are asking for donations of items no longer needed or used.
The event is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the church’s lower level in the Fellowship Hall, 230 E. Poplar St.
Money earned during the sale will go to the church’s emergency relief fund. The fund helps church members, or their friends or neighbors, in need.
Church Pastor David Chivington said the garage sale idea came about in January after the congregation began considering “what it means to simplify.” Having less stuff to take care of leaves more time for other things, he said.
“Here in America, we have too much stuff. Sometimes if we simplified and pared down, we would have more time to tend to the soul,” Chivington said. “And often we gather stuff that nobody wants, (we realize), when we try to pass it down to family members.”
He noted that as we get older, we accumulate more things. Then we need to care for, clean and move these things around over the years. If we clear out items earlier in life, it could make for easier transitions and leave more room to tend to other more important things, Chivington said.
“Then after we considered what we should do with the things we clear out, birthed the idea for a garage sale, which then birthed the idea of what to do with the funds,” he said. Congregation members then began the task of gathering together items for the garage sale.
Starting Friday, April 27, through Sunday, April 29, the church is accepting donated items, except for large appliances, mattresses and guns, among a handful of other items, the pastor said, at the Fellowship Hall. Contact the church for drop off times, as they are to be posted later.
The garage sale will include a variety of items, including, furniture, sporting goods, small appliances, tools, bed and bath items, toys, pet supplies, clothing, media items, etc.
According to the church’s flyer, the full list of items they will not accept also includes upholstered furniture, damaged, or unclean furniture, baby bottles, cribs, playpens, car seats, bicycle helmets, magazines, TVs and computers.
The church asks for only new of gently worn clothing that has recently been washed, or items that are clean and in working order with no missing, cracked or broken parts, preferably with batteries. Extra clothing hangers are also needed.
Organizations or groups interested to raise money by selling baked goods, sandwiches and snacks, along side the coffee and water to be offered by the church for customers are invited to contact the church office to arrange a spot for sales.
Also, the church is seeking volunteers to help make the event successful. Anyone interested in volunteering, selling food, or seeking additional information should call Sidney First United Methodist Church at 937-492-9136.
