Ladies Auxiliary Annual Garage Sale

Perhaps no other activity at Saint Ann demonstrates how sharing your time, talent, and treasure can have a positive impact on our parish than the annual Garage Sale hosted by the Ladies' Altar Guild.  Every year volunteers share their time, working tirelessly to take in, clean up, and organize thousands of donated items; not to mention making personal “pickups” of donated items at parishioner's homes and helping staff the sale.  There are people who use their talents to coordinate the volunteers, price the goods, and manage this massive undertaking.  And there are the parishioners who give their many “treasures,” some worth more than others, but all helping to make this fundraiser a huge success.

"We are so grateful to everyone who helps with the Saint Ann Garage Sale.  Thank you for the many donations and for shopping at our sale.  Thank you to our awesome volunteers, from young people barely in their teens to our beloved seniors who inspire us with their unbelievable energy and commitment.  Thank you to those who cannot not be with us but pray for us.  Thank you to the Knights, who show up at the end of the sale to help us pack it all away.  It is amazing to see how many BELIEVE THEY BELONG!  What a wonderful community we have."
-Carol Fike, president, Saint Ann Ladies' Altar Guild

Garage sales are usually casual affairs that help families pick up a little extra cash.  The Saint Ann Garage Sale is not a casual affair.  It has been in business for over forty years.  People come from all over to participate in what has become a West Nashville tradition, publicized by Ms. Cheap and Talk of the Town.  And when it comes to a little extra cash, well, this garage sale overachieves.  This year the Ladies' Guild set a record, raising a whopping $17,804 with your support!  So, what does the Ladies' Guild do with the money they raise?

"The Guild purchased new cushions for the church; this was a big purchase. We also spent $5,000 on new vestments for the priests and deacons and bought a new chalice. We pay for Eucharistic hosts, wine, candles, incense, and for the Easter and Christmas flowers that are not covered by parishioners’ donations. We promise to be good stewards of the funds that we raise. Thank you again; none of this would have been possible without so many of us working together.” -Kim Cherry, treasurer, Saint Ann Ladies' Altar Guild

The Garage Sale happens annually in June, so the next time you do some spring cleaning, please save items you want to get rid of and donate them to the sale.  The Ladies' Guild will take pretty much anything except mattresses, large CRT TVs and monitors, and encyclopedias!  No donation is too small and all donations will help in some way.  Many of the leftover clothes this year were donated to a small church in Ridgetop that distributed them to people living in a very poor part of Appalachia as part of a mission trip.  Your donations will keep on giving.

The members of the Ladies' Guild also prepare meals for grieving families after funerals held at the church.  They support the Knights of Columbus Golf Tournament and the Ladies Auxiliary Wee Care Program.  Their ministry might not be well-known, but it impacts many people.  If you are interested in joining the Guild and helping with the good work they do, please contact Carol Fike at nashvillecarol@hotmail.com or 615-519-4595.