The Friends of Sturbridge Seniors held their annual yard sale today (Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008), and the REAS Foundation was fortunate to be on hand to help raise funds for the Friends of Seniors, while simultaneously raising awareness about our energy assistance program.

We distributed nearly 200 brochures to “yard salers”, and were able to engage a significant number of “shoppers” in direct communication. REAS Board members, Stacy Courtney and Jeff Bonja, did an outstanding job of educating folks about our vision and our mission, which, quite unexpectedly, inspired some to donate right then and there. It was inspiring to witness the commitment of these REAS Board members anxiously distributing literature to passers-by.

Board member Rebecca Blanchard was on hand to photograph the event and provided some great pictures of the day’s activities, as was Ginger Peabody, who in addition to manning her own booth, continued to direct folks toward the REAS table all morning. REAS Chief Operations Officer, Patrick Babcock and his two sons - Aidan and Connor - helped round out the group, establishing a clear connection between our youth and our seniors.

We were also able to raise $90.00 for the Friends of Sturbridge Seniors from the sale of a few items we had on hand, and were met with hugs and smiles from the “Friends” President and Treasurer when we presented the proceeds from our sales. We all recall hoping to raise $50.00 to donate to the “Friends” organization in support of their efforts, so it was exciting to nearly double that. Much of the kudos there belong to Stacy Courtney - a prolific yard-saler herself - who demonstrated a keen ability to deal with the best of them, by selling nearly all of our items, quickly and profitably. 

In addition to our donation to the “Friends”, we received some additional hugs of gratitude for help with the breakdown and clean-up of the tables and food stations set up by the Seniors. Today was a great opportunity for us to partner with the Friends of Sturbridge Seniors, and the REAS Foundation is most grateful for that opportunity. We look forward to continuing and further developing this partnership with our Friends, in a shared effort to assist Sturbridge Seniors.

Thomas R. Creamer
Executive Director