Editor:
What do you do when you can no longer get into your storage room due to an over-accumulation of “stuff”? It was just that experience that prompted us to hold a garage sale, with a twist – why not make it a fundraiser for Coast Hospice.
So on July 22, with a garage full of things that we were not longer using, we welcomed neighbours from near and far – a few doors away to some visitors from Australia!
It was a very special day with people keen to support the work of our hospice and its many volunteers. Even if they didn’t shop, some people made cash donations including one person who dumped her entire tin box of coins into the money pouch.
At the end of the day, we had raised $2,500 with every penny being presented to hospice on July 27. It was a great way to meet neighbours and do something to support an essential community service.
Our hospice provides services and programs including free grief support along with educational resources. The charity partners with Vancouver Coastal health to manage two hospice suites and a family room at Shorncliffe in Sechelt. Hospice relies on donors and partners to provide these important programs and services and many people who came to the garage sale talked about how helpful hospice had been to them and their families at difficult times.
We hope that others planning a garage sale will give it a try. We’d be happy to share the tools we developed (spreadsheets, newspaper ads, etc.) – just reach out to hospice and they will put you in touch. And thank you to the 70 or so people who came, shopped and bought at our garage sale – you have made a difference!
With gratitude,
John and Sandra Hansen
