Community Corner

"Everybody Benefits" at Church Resale

Church, school, community, environment and parents seeking kids' Halloween costumes all benefit at Trinity Lutheran Resale.

As it has twice a year for as far back as event organizer Kristen Rizzuto can recall, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church held its resale Saturday, packing the gym with donated clothes, toys, books, movies and other goods to be sold off at low prices.

The event, held once in the fall and once in the spring, benefits the church's Pre-K to 8th school.

"The school is benefitting, the community is benefitting, the earth is benefitting because this isn't getting thrown out," Rizzuto said.

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Everyone who offers their old clothes, toys, movies and the like for their sale gets 30 percent of the profit. The rest goes to the school's Parent-Teacher League to be used for students' needs. People can also donate the goods, in which case the school gets 100 percent of the profits.

Unless the donor requests otherwise, the church will donate everything unsold to other causes.

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Dan and Julie Wentz were in town from St. Louis for Dan's 30-year high school reunion at Sandburg when they saw the sign.

"We love thrift stores and rummage sales because your kids are playing outside and you don't care if they get their clothes dirty," Julie said.

The pair have four daughters, ages 5, 8, 19 and 22. Dan was piled high with clothes, boots, books and Halloween costumes for the younger girls.

"I got a $1 movie for myself," he said, chuckling.

Kelly Reeves of Midlothian was buying clothes for her 7-year-old son Tavin and 4-year-old daughter Ryann. Child number three is on the way.

Reeves said sales like this are important for parents, who by nature of having kids, are always looking for a bargain. But on Saturday, Halloween costumes were also on the shopping list.

"He's going as a (Star Wars) Clone Trooper and she's always good for a Disney princess," Reeves said.

However, even as the sale wound down, volunteers had more work ahead of them.

"We have church at 5, so all this has to be out by 4:30," Rizzuto said, gesturing at the gymnasium full of goods.

The next Trinity Lutheran Resale will be March 19. Unlike past resales, the next one will open at 8 a.m. instead of 9.


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