Great Granville Garage Sale helps Licking County group fight homelessness
The annual Great Granville Garage Sale is more than just a good excuse to look at vintage collectibles, handmade jewelry or stacks of old books — it’s a great way to help those in need.
In 2016, the Licking County Coalition for Housing took over this annual township-wide garage sale. The coalition provides a wide range of services meant to help people experiencing homelessness find housing.
The coalition gets most of its funding from grants, and with those grants comes restrictions on the money and on what it can be spent. But the money raised from the registration fee to participate in the garage sale — which fell on June 29 this year — falls into the category of unrestricted funds.
“Things like these unrestricted funds go towards actually being able to provide things outside of those perimeters, this would be things like pillows or socks or other household items that are necessities but don’t necessarily fit within the confines of the grant,” said Ben Stamper, the coalition's marketing and fundraising coordinator.
Other than the garage sale, the coalition also raises funds through its Food Truck Festival and HomeRun 5K and Mile Walk.
Kris Ward, a seller on West Plum Street, has plenty of experience with garage sales. She often travels to flea markets and antique shows and sells her vintage goods there.
“We basically do a garage sale every day of my life,” she laughed.
Her sale featured sporting goods, fishing supplies, tools, antique bells and dolls, among many other items.
Megan Morrice had a booth at the Opera House Park, where she sold vintage Fiestaware dishes from her father’s house and her mother’s art.
“It’s a lot of prints from my mother’s collection — an Ohio-based artist, Susan Sturgill — she was an illustrator that was very popular in the ’90s,” Morrice said.
Sarah Prasher came to the Opera House Park to hopefully sell her records, CDs and stereo equipment, as well as just general household goods and “a hodgepodge of things I don’t need.”
“I’ve already sold about three tubs worth of albums,” Prasher said.
Overall, there were more than 60 locations, as well as booths at Opera House Park and the Granville Farmers Market at Raccoon Valley Park.
“All of this goes towards being able to fight homelessness and making sure people have a comfortable way of easing into having a home for themselves,” Stamper said.
Ellie Owen writes for write for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Great Granville Garage Sale helps fight Licking County homelessness
