Sunday, May 1, 2011

One Man's Junk will send a Youth to New Orleans

In just a few days, thousands (and I do literally mean thousands) of items of one person’s junk will become another person’s treasure.
 Rain or shine.

Yes, it’s a yard sale.

But not just ANY yard sale.  This is the every 3 years St. Andrew Youth Group Yard Sale.

On Saturday, May 7 from 8 am until 3 pm, you can peruse thousands of items that are in need of recycling…. From one person’s home to another.

How fitting that so briefly following Easter, new life will be given to items that one person felt were junk.  Another person will find that less than shiny bauble and with a little elbow grease make new what once was old. 

Less stuff in landfills.  Fewer dollars spent from budgets that are already tight.  Less $ on the credit card this month. 

You kid has outgrown that stroller?  Well maybe a new mom-to-be who is struggling to make ends meet in this less than stellar economy would like to take it around the block a few more times.

Personally, I find holding a Yard Sale to usually be more pain than it’s worth.  But THIS Yard Sale is an exception.

First of all, I get to clean out my house of some of those items no longer being used by my family.

Second, the proceeds from this sale will benefit the Youth of St. Andrew, which includes my son at this time.  In July 2012, several of our Youth Group will travel to New Orleans for the ELCA National Youth Gathering.   My daughter went a few years ago.  It is one of those life experiences that shapes the hearts and minds of a young person for his/her entire life.  She will never forget the experience and the things she learned there.

Third, this activity is a bonding event for our Youth.  Working together to begin to earn some dough, they begin to really get to know each other.  They begin to feel a common purpose and common goal.

Fourth, this activity brings the faces of our Youth into the fore of the minds of the members of our congregation.  Their upcoming trip will be front and center in the activities of the church for the next year. 

Fifth, by working this activity, our Youth take responsibility for their own commitment to get themselves and their chaperones to New Orleans with as little financial pain to their parents as possible.

And lastly,  the work they do to get there will make the event that much more sweet when they worship together with 35,000 other Lutheran Youth in the Super Dome in New Orleans and when they head out to work together on any one of the hundreds of service projects that these youth will undertake.

So come find a new treasure! 

Help send a Youth to New Orleans for the experience of a lifetime!

Whatever your motivation, COME SHOP!

May 7 @ St. Andrew, 8 am - 3 pm
www.elcaAndy.org  for directions


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