The highly anticipated “World’s Biggest Garage Sale” held by Twin Lakes Church in Aptos may or may not be the world’s largest, but this year’s was the most successful ever, raising about $68,000 for two local non-profits.
The May 13 event involved months of planning, scores of volunteers (ages 12 to 82), and thousands of hours of donated time during the final weeks of preparation. Dozens of stalls, racks, and tables of furniture, clothing, housewares, art, tools, collectibles, and more crowded the parking lot and grounds of the sizeable Aptos campus on the sunny Saturday morning.
All of the net proceeds are going to Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County, which feeds 55,000 people in need every month, and Teen Challenge Monterey Bay, which helps men, women, and children with life-controlling problems.
The massive sale raised $54,000 for Second Harvest, which they will turn into 216,000 meals to be distributed through their network of nearly 200 partner agencies and food and nutrition programs throughout Santa Cruz County.
Second Harvest CEO Willy Elliott-McCrea said, “The amazing dedication and hard work we see from the Twin Lakes Church community continually surprises me. They’re truly invested in feeding people in need, and they sacrifice so much of themselves to do so, time and time again.”
TLC member Gina Kindscher praised the efforts of the many volunteers who provided the time and labor, which made the event possible. “In the face of adversity we all powered on, despite personal challenges, as the mission to feed people was heavy on our hearts.”
One of those volunteers, Taylor Spielman, gave up one of his life’s joys in the weeks leading up to the event. Spielman, 25, a member of the church’s Youth Ministry, normally surfs the East Side for two hours every morning before work.
“I figured for two weeks instead of doing something I usually do for myself, I’d give up that time and give it to the garage sale … Knowing what the [two non-profits] do, there was no question in my mind that it was a good cause,” he reflected.
Twin Lakes Church is a large and longtime supporter of Second Harvest Food Bank, rallying its dedicated congregation to help The Food Bank tackle hunger throughout the year.
The church would like to thank Martinelli’s, Palace Office Supply, Eric’s DeliCafe, A Tool Shed, Locatelli Moving and Storage, and Health Design for all their donations of supplies and food for the volunteers.
For more information please visit Second Harvest Food Bank (www.thefoodbank.org) and Twin Lakes Church (www.tlc.org).
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Founded in 1972, Second Harvest Food Bank was the first food bank in California and the second in the nation. Its mission is to end hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. Its network of 200 local agencies and programs feeds 55,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month. For every dollar donated, it provides four healthy meals. Second Harvest has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator in recognition of its effective stewardship. “Together we fight hunger all year long.” www.thefoodbank.org