Garden Spot townlively.com
FEBRUARY 5, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXI • NO 7
Pine Grove schedules Clothing Closet BY ANN MEAD ASH
A
lmost every year that it is held, the Pine Grove Clothing Closet, a clothing giveaway event that provides items for men, women, and children, changes a little with the goal of improving. In 2023, the event grew from offering only children’s clothing, toys, and books to providing gently used items for teenagers and adults. This year, organizers have added extra donation hours during the week prior to the giveaway. Donation hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Tuesday, Feb. 11, through Friday, Feb. 14. From Tuesday, Feb. 18, through Thursday, Feb. 20, hours will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and also from 6 to 8 p.m. each day. “It’s like two weeks (to donate this year),” commented Pine Grove associate pastor of ministries
Jaiden Brandt. “ The week of (the event), we will actually have evening donation hours so that people who work during the day will have time to donate.” This year’s Pine Grove Clothing Closet will be held at the church, 1194 Reading Road, Bowmansville, on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Brandt stated that the goal of the event is to show love to area residents in need by reaching out in a tangible way. Brandt reported that the church great room will be filled with free clothing and items for children; two other rooms - one with men’s clothing and one with women’s clothing - and a hallway where shoes will be available will be set up for the giveaway. Brandt noted that coats, shoes, boots, hats, scarves, and mittens are usually among the items available at the giveaway. Another addition to this year’s event will be a table offering
free coffee, hot chocolate, and pastries. “Our youth in grades six to 12 will serve (the food items),” noted Brandt. Donations that will be accepted for the giveaway include clothing for people of all ages. Specifically, clothing items that are clean, smoke-free, and sorted by size and gender are requested. Car seats, cribs, and other baby furniture items are not accepted. “If (donated items) aren’t marked, we slap a sticker on them when they arrive,” explained Brandt, who pointed out that presorting will help the up to 70 church volunteers who work to set up the giveaway on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 20, and during the day on Friday, Feb. 21. “On Thursday evening, a team of church volunteers starts setting up,” stated Brandt. “They get the tables out and start unloading a big trailer in the parking lot Kiki Martin (left) and Erin Martin helped organize a past annual Pine See Pine Grove Church pg 8 Grove Clothing Closet giveaway event.
Making Mom proud W hen Garden Spot High School 2020 graduate Sabrina Dickson first headed to college, she did not know what she wanted to do with her life. After changing her major several times and considering taking a gap year, Dickson landed at Smoker Door Sales in Kinzer, where her title of experience and engagement coordinator covers a variety of duties. “This just kind of happened through work experience,” said Dickson. “I realized all I want to do is build relationship in
a career that has an outward mindset, and this is it.” Dickson handles both human resources and marketing for Smoker Door, but her position also focuses on coordinating company connections with local organizations such as The Factory, where Smoker Door is a sponsor in the BIG Shots fundraiser, in which Smoker employees participate, and Solanco Neighborhood Ministries, for which Smoker employees put together Christmas tree kits for area families. “We also host food drives and personal care item drives,” pointed out Dickson.
BY ANN MEAD ASH
When Sheila Barrage, who works as a supervisor at Shady Maple Farm Market, won a shopping spree at the company Christmas party, her first thought was to ask Brandon Ramiro, her friend who works in produce, to push the cart for her during her dash through the market. Sheila and her helper would have two minutes to put up to $500 worth or groceries in her cart. “(Ramiro) has been with the company forever,” shared Sheila. “He knows the store.” Sheila, who lives alone in a two-bedroom apartment, has a standard freezer and refrigerator, plus a small fridge in the second room that her son, Ben, stays in when he visits. With limited storage for perishable Brandon Ramiro (left) steered the shopping cart items, Sheila knew a plan was needed to help her make to help Sheila Barrage complete her winning shopping spree at Shady Maple Farm Market.
See Sheila’s shopping spree pg 4
R114680
See Smoker Door Sales pg 7
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BY ANN MEAD ASH
Sheila’s shopping spree