BY MEGAN OTTO
Appeal Tribune
October 19
SILVERTON – A community wide garage sale to benefit hurricane victims is finally moving forward.
Organizer and Silverton resident Jean Vargo has come up with a slogan for the event: “Clean out a closet to help fill an empty one.”
“Some people were left with whatever they had on their backs,” Vargo said. “I just want to remind people just how really dire the need still is.”
The garage sale is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. Vargo said donations will be accepted from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 28, as well as at the sale. She asked that people price their own donations before bringing them to the church.
Vargo said organizers are encouraging people to bring in donations and help out at the event. She also said they want to remind people to bring quality items to the event.
“We do desperately need people to bring things for the sale,” Vargo said. “We need to bring things that aren’t headed to the trash.”
She said organizers have to pay to take away things that can’t be sold, which is counterproductive to an event trying to be a fund-raiser for those who suffered in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Vargo said several youth groups have been invited to add their own fund-raisers into the mix, anything from can collecting to bake sales that can be combined with the garage sale efforts.
Vargo said there will also be red beans and rice for dinner, prepared by Linda Krauel. They are looking for volunteers with food handler’s permits to help serve the food at the event.
St. Joseph’s Shelter in Mount Angel will take all the left-over donations, so even if something isn’t sold, it will still go to a good cause close to home, Vargo said.
She said organizers are still undecided about where the proceeds will go but are leaning toward Habitat for Humanity, which has begun the long task of rebuilding homes in the devastated gulf areas and getting people out of shelters.
“It seems we’re in that phase of the recovery process,” Vargo said, adding though people have received immediate help, there’s still a void that donations can fill.
“Just because they’re not still on the rooftops doesn’t mean they’re not still at great risk,” Vargo said.