Lines of people formed more than an hour before doors opened Saturday morning at the Community Church at Tellico Village for the annual Tellico Village Community Church Crafters and Habitat for Humanity garage sale.
“Charlene (Barton) and I were here a few minutes after 7 (a.m.), and we already had a line,” Kathy Blevins, co-chair for the event with Barton, said. “The first hour is really, really crowded, but then it’s just a nice flow. So it’s a great event.”
The event serves as a fundraiser for both organizations, with the two splitting the money made from the sale, which kept a steady crowd into early afternoon.
“It helps the Crafters with what we give at the end of the year, and it helps Habitat because they get the proceeds, same as we, but then they get whatever is left over,” Barton said. “Also, what’s left in the boutique goes to Good Neighbors Shoppe.”
Items ranged from small, decorative pieces to large furniture and event computers for sale from the Tellico Village Computers Users Club.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better day to be having a garage sale,” Tony Gibbons, Loudon County Habitat for Humanity executive director, said. “It’s absolutely beautiful out, so everybody is coming out and being part of it, enjoying the opportunity to get a great deal.”
While the money raised is certainly a boost for both organizations, a chance to get the message of each organization out to the public is just as important.
“It has everything to do with that,” Blevins said. “Every year we have familiar faces, people that volunteer every year, but also, every year we have new people. It’s not only a time of making money for charity, but it’s a time of community and fellowship and putting the two organizations together. … It’s those two organizations working together to benefit the entire area.”
Gibbons said the sale worked as a chance to market Habitat, which was able to show those living in and around Tellico Village that they’re serious about helping others.
“It brings the community together, putting our brand next to the effort,” he said. “So everybody that is coming out here, whether they’re a volunteer, a donor or a customer, sees that Habitat is part of a bigger picture. It really allows folks to see what we’re all about. It’s a big marketing piece as much as it is a fundraiser.”
Many in Tellico Village are already familiar with the mission of Habitat, which consistently sees good support from the community, Gibbons said.
“Loudon County as a whole is extraordinarily supportive and giving of nonprofits and mission work in their own community and abroad,” Gibbons said. “The fact that there is such a distinct difference with the transplants that are retiring here versus the locals that have grown up, they are still coming together hand-in-hand to support Habitat, so I applaud the entire community for that.
“The folks in Tellico Village, they’re looking to contribute to the community, so the fact that they’re part of it, it allows everyone to benefit,” he added. “Half of our board is made up of folks from Tellico Village. They serve on our committees, they’re out on the job site, they’re in our home store. If you talk with anybody in nonprofit, especially Habitat, they’re going to tell you that volunteers are the backbone of the organization. That is so true here, and Tellico Village is a big piece of that.”
Shauna Oden, former executive director for Habitat, attended as a volunteer Saturday after having been a longtime member of Community Church as well as a Habitat employee.
“We’ve been doing this for years, and it’s just wonderful that the two can partner as we have over the years and really benefit a lot of the communities,” Oden said. “The Crafters give to a lot of other organizations as well, and we take part of the proceeds. It benefits the whole community, and it’s really a great time to come together and work together.”
