Blog by Associate Mary Klinge[/caption]
Providing Financial Assistance to Further Associate Life
Every year since 2000, the Kansas area Associates of the Dominican Sisters of Peace have held a garage sale as a fundraiser. This tradition began when Associate Ginger Kroos, OPA, was selected to be the Associate representative to the International Dominican Congress in Manila. Money from the garage sale allowed her husband, Fred, also an Associate, to accompany Ginger. Now the fundraiser benefits the Associate Fund, which provides financial assistance to enable Associates to participate in various events.
Preparing the Sale
On Thursday, October 6, Associates from various parts of Kansas gathered to set up the 2016 Sale. Blessed with absolutely beautiful fall weather, the Associates began to unpack the many boxes of donated items. After working most of the day, the four-car garage at the Great Bend Motherhouse was filled to the brim awaiting Saturday morning shoppers.
In keeping with the tradition, we invite the Sisters and Motherhouse employees for two hours on Friday afternoon to shop ahead of the Saturday morning crowd. On Friday evening, about dark, two pickups and a trailer arrived with items from one of our Prayer Associates, who had recently moved to an assisted living facility. We managed to find room for the many decorative and useful items that they sent.
Arriving very early on Saturday morning, October 8, our customers were ready to begin shopping. They even helped move items out from our crowded garages to the driveway to make shopping easier. Once again, we were blessed with a beautiful day, and the shoppers came and bought. We price very few items and advertise that they can "take what they want and pay what they think it is worth unless it is marked."
The customers shopped all morning. At noon we began to pack up our leftovers and with the help of three pickups and a trailer, our Associates, and, in some cases, their spouses, hauled items to the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army was inundated and told us they did not have room for any more items so our next plan was to take the three pickup loads and trailer to the Goodwill, who had room for the remaining items.
While this project is a fair amount of work for several days, it is very much a community-building activity since our Associates come from various parts of the state of Kansas to participate. We consider it a successful sale in that we made more than $1,500 for the Associate Fund. We look forward to our next sale in 2018!! We thank God for giving us willing workers and gorgeous weather, which contributed to the success of this project.