Submitted by Jane Greenhouse
Only a few more days till The Church of St Edmunds (the church at the Gap) host their annual yard sale. This much anticipated event is on Saturday July 19th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
The church will be open the week of Monday July 14th to Friday July 18th between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm for you to drop off your donations for this sale.
Already we have had some very generous donations, not only the hand crafted and collectable charcuterie boards made by Lawrence Beagan but also four pieces of Portuguese ceramic tableware in the iconic cabbage leaf pattern. These pieces were created by the well-known ceramic artist Bordallo Pinheiro.
As you see people have already donated such interesting items for the yard sale with the knowledge that all the proceeds from the sale go to support the Meeting Place here in Tobermory.
The Meeting Place (TMP) was established as a multi-service charitable organization (Community Hub) in 2015. Social support emerging from this Hub includes Food Security and Diversity programs, such as “The Good To Go” Meal Kits, “Good Food” Boxes, “FoodFit” classes, and Community Gardens, these are learning gardens to introduce beginners to the world of growing their own food. The Community Volunteer Income Tax (CVIT) program meets a huge demand for help with income tax returns and guidance to lower and middle-income residents.
Recreational activities include the Community Gardens, many events at the Community Park and the new Pavilion as well as the Community Gym. The children of Tobermory have an opportunity to SOAR in the weekly Afterschool Program that continues to run with new volunteers and a new generation of children.
In the “off-season” (October – May) TMP hosts a monthly Open Mic night, providing a well-loved (alcohol-free) venue for performers and audience alike and a mecca for new and committed volunteers of the future. There are also rooms available for meetings etc.
TMP is continuing to build its role in climate action with the recent distribution of free Home Energy Kits to provide residents with energy-saving products and resources to reduce emissions. The E-Bike Rental Social Enterprise offers affordable monthly rentals to local workers and E-Bike rentals to visitors, contributing to sustainable tourism and earning some revenue to fund the year-round TMP services to local people.
The community work of TMP includes advocacy for affordable housing and “food rescue” efforts that divert hundreds of pounds of good food from the landfill. The Tobermory Foodbank is housed in the Municipally owned TMP building, thereby providing links to the social and community services offered by TMP to the Foodbank users.
Donations provide essential support for the programs and services of The Meeting Place which is why the Church of St Edmunds chose to donate the proceeds from this yard sale to this much needed facility in Tobermory.
Be sure to look at the interesting “One of A Kind” items and place your bids on the silent auction. The deadline for bids for the silent auction is 12:30 pm; hot dogs will be available while you wait to see if yours is the winning bid!
Looking forward to seeing you on July 19th.
