Shoppers at the POC Service Club’s Annual Spring Garage Sale

Our really, really main event in April was the preparation, staging and finishing of the Semi-Annual Garage & Bake Sale as held this time on Saturday, April 5, 2014 in the Pavilion of the Community Center. But our work began much earlier than that Thursday and Friday of set-up and Saturday for the actual sales.

Following the ending of the Fall Garage & Bake Sale, one very special lady who spends hours and hours sorting, re-boxing and labeling all donations received at the County Barn, began working once again. This lady has spent several years of her time at this job, and with her skills at sorting and re-boxing, she has and will continue (we hope) to make the set-up for the Garage Sale so much easier as everything is now in proper order for display on the many tables.

So, on Thursday, several husbands and a very special friend who resides in another area, but always (well, almost) manages to make his return to POC in time for our biannual garage sales, gather at the County Barn with trucks to contain and transport the many boxes from the Barn. And, as always, these gentlemen are assisted by several members of our local Coast Guard; this time the appearance of Jacob Jenkins and Benson Carlisle made the job of loading and unloading boxes and pieces of furniture so much easier.

And there to greet the oncoming heavily laden trucks were enthusiastic and eager members of the POC Community Service Club; all flexing their muscles in preparation for moving boxes and boxes to the waiting empty tables. All day Thursday and Friday hours were spent by Club members in sorting and stacking and hanging clothes; arranging many items properly on tables, and then pricing everything prior to the opening Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m.

Accompanying the Garage Sale each time is a Bake Sale; so members, having spent an exhaustive day getting everything in order for the Sale, returned to their homes to finish baking those many specialty items. Making their appearance at the Bake Sale were cakes and cookies and even a pie. All these delicious goodies were ready to make their exit from the shelves in the Pavilion to a welcoming trip to a lucky purchaser’s home for dessert that evening.

One very special part of the Service Club’s Garage Sale is the bag sale beginning late in the afternoon. For a price of $1.00 a shopper can then fill a large bag with many items; all that the bag itself will hold. And many experienced and fortunate shoppers were present to take advantage of that type of marketing.

At the end of the afternoon, a members present breathed a huge sigh of relief as they almost completely empty tables in the Pavilion. Leftover and unsold items were then boxed to find another well deserved home nearby.

The funds from this event go to support the various scholarships that the Club awards to former students of our Port O’Connor School who are now graduating from high school and need help with tuition, books or residence halls. And, this time, the monies will then fund the special scholarship in memory of our wonderful co-member, Agnes Valigura. Whose memory, therefore, will never be lost.

For further information concerning the aims, past and present, of this unusual Community organization, plan to attend our next meeting, Thursday, April 17th, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Community Center. Or call Janet Johnson, President, 983-4737 or Shirley Gordon, 983-4365 at the Library. We are a very unusual group of women, all with different backgrounds, ideas, and interests; but all of us are totally committed to being of service to the Port O’Connor Community in many unusual and unique ways. “Try us; you may just like us!”

Lindy, a very discerning & enthusiastic shopper!

Taking a break are L-R: Susie Onishi, Susan Dubois & Peggy Elliott, Garage Sale Chairman.

A HUGE THANKS

Once again, the POC Community Service Club has staged their Semi-Annual Garage and Bake Sale on Saturday, April 5, 2014. Thursday morning meant the unloading at the County Barn of the many boxes and pieces of furniture. And once again, we have several members of our local Coast Guard to thank for their assistance in this muscle bending task. Both Jacob Jenkins and Benson Carlisle made their presence known and appreciated by their enthusiastic work of loading boxes into the waiting pickups.

Thanks also to our husbands: Bob Allen, Robbie Hawes, Victor Leach and Andy Westling, who were assisted by several friends of Club members: David Walker and a charming gentleman who times his visits to POC to coincide with our Garage Sales. Jerry Tucker has been a notable presence for many years at our Sales, and if somehow, he misses one, we miss him too.

Thanks again, guys! We couldn’t have done this without you; we really don’t have the muscles!

Sincerely,

Janet Johnson, President
Peggy Elliott, Chairman of the Garage Sale