Edinburg Really Really Free Market

Some facts and figures

2009-07-29T14:31:00.001-07:00

An estimated 1500 - 2000 people came.

Between us, we ate:
1425 hot-dogs
400+ snow cones
600+ donuts
145 of bags of popcorn
20 pizzas

we drank:
1000+ bottles of water
800 cartons of milk
100's of bottles of designer tea .

An estimated $3,000 worth of groceries was completely cleared in fifteen minutes, together with two picnic tables piled with fresh garden produce.

We started with a tent full of furniture and toys, and a picnic shelter full of assorted household goods and treasures. We were left with less than a pick-up load of nicknacks and a couple of old TV's - everything else was needed.

We began with a picnic shelter 25' by 40' full of good clothing. With a double run of hanging wire along both sides, and the inside lined with tables. The hanging was full, the tables were piled high. We were left with less than a pick-up load of clothing to take to the Thrift Store.

Our $400 of school supplies was completely cleared.

People made good use of the social service, health and wellness, safety, animal care and financial advise available. The audiences greatly appreciated the music of our six live acts.

We had no rain, and the weather was perfect.

The children enjoyed the Barrel Train, the face-painters, the hands-on Art, the carnival games and the Bouncey Castle.

People were very respectful of oneanother's needs, there was no pushing, no shoving, no grabbing - it bore no resemblance to the opening hours of the retail Sales!

A major point of wonder - the grounds were left spotless.
Two hours after the Market ended, a refreshing rain fell.

The whole event was staged for less than $150 (a $75 manpower charge by Parks and Recreation and $75 to hire a portable toilet). This was because so many organizations and individuals gave their time, talents and goods at no cost. How do we assess their contribution? Priceless!

A scrapbook of the day

2009-07-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

We have free goods, free advice, free fun and free snacks.

2009-07-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the generous help of many people, we already have much in place.

We have the venue.

We have snacks.

We have a lot of fun things for the kids,

and for the young at heart.

We have live music.

We have art.

And we have a rich range of advice and help for families.

WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED?

For people to bring all that good stuff they are ready to give away.

And for everyone to come and enjoy a free day out!!!

Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the music!

2009-06-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Performers

Rob Grandstaff 'The Lampman'
Solo guitar.

The Rinard Family

Country and Gospel Music.

The Grove Youth Band

Contemporary Christian Music.

The Graft Family
Gospel Music

The Shelton Family
Contemporary Christian Music

The Filling Station Overflow

Contemporary Christian Music

The banner is up!

2009-06-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our Current Priorities

Spreading the word throughout Shenandoah County:

Letting people know that The Edinburg Really Really Free Market is this weekend.

That 25th July is a day for people to share what they can and pick up what they need!

And that we are still looking for people to help on Friday and Saturday.

The Really Really Free Market

is featured this week by

The Free Press

The Sheneandoah Valley Herald

Shentel Community Channel 3

Final interview with Craig Orndorff 23rd July at 9.00am on WSVG 790AM

Are you an individual or a group wanting to help?

2009-06-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Some possibilities

Doubtless you know of families in need, can you transport them to the Market?

Have you goods for the Market – used clothing, household items, school items, furniture, garden produce, food?

Would you like to help with a pick-up area at the Market

- furniture?

- household goods?

- toys / school supplies?

- food?

- books / treasures?

Are you a singer, story-teller, comedian? Wander the Market and give people cheer.

If you want to volunteer or get more information, please phone Bill (540 325 2961) or Ann (540 933 6313)

Thank you for your promises of help

2009-06-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to acknowledge the help given by individuals, groups, businesses and corporations.

'Thank you' to everyone.

Businesses and Corporations:

SHENTEL (Shenandoah Telecommunications Company), Edinburg
for Bouncey Castle and pre-Market video advert.

CHURCH MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, Merrill, WI

for insurance.

SHAFFER'S BARBECUE SERVICE INC., Woodstock
for Sno-Cones.

HOLTZMAN CORPORATION/ VALLEY ICE, Mt. Jackson

for ice for the event.

WHOLESOME FOODS, Edinburg
for supplies and ice.

VALLEYHEALTH Wellness Services, Shenandoah Memorial Hospital

for providing the following Health Fair components -Body Fat Analysis, Waist/HIP measurements, Blood Pressure Checks, handouts on body fat, healthy eating etc, display on health & wellness.

KELLOGG's
for prizes.

FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK
for free financial advice at the Market.

FOOD LION, Woodstock

for cookies.

BOWMAN APPLE PRODUCTS, Mount Jackson

for pallets of drinks.

THE FREE PRESS, Edinburg

for advertizing space and featuring the Market.

WAZT TV, Woodstock

for advertizing space.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, Mount Crawford

for $100 donation.

FARM BUREAU FEDERATION & INSURANCE SERVICES, Woodstock

600 bottles of water.

CRACKER BARREL, Woodstock

for two gift vouchers, each for dinner-for-two, to be used as prizes.

VALLEY FETILIZER & CHEMICAL Co., Mount Jackson

for $100 donation towards event insurance.

FIRST BANK, Shenandoah County

for $100 of bottled water.

WSVG 790 radio, Mount Jackson

for airing our story.

DUPONT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

for prizes.

FINE LINE INC., Maurertown

for creating and donating a banner.

COOK'S TRAILER SALES, Edinburg

for $100 donation.

C.E.THOMPSON & Sons, Edinburg

for $100 donation, pens and pencils, and popcorn machine and consumables.

LAUGHLIN AUCTIONS, Edinburg

for the loan and erection of a large tent.

SHENANDOAH MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE, Woodstock

for $50 donation.

DELLINGER FUNERAL HOMES, Shenandoah County
for $200 donation.

VALLEYHEALTH, Every Woman's Life coordinator, Winchester

for information on access to breast and cervical cancer screening for women with limited financial resources.

FOUR STAR PRINTING, Woodstock

for the language and technical skills of Cynthia and Rebekah.

SHENANDOAH'S PRIDE, Mount Crawford / DEAN FOOD, Texas

for donating 1,000 cartons of milk.

APPALACHIAN TRUCK SERVICE Inc, Edinburg

for hauling and safe storage of milk donation.

ANTHONY'S PIZZA, Woodstock

for Gift Certificate.

SUBWAY, Woodstock

for Gift Certificate

McDONALD'S, Woodstock

for prizes.

SHEETZ, Woodstock

for Gift Certificates.

DOMINO'S PIZZA, Woodstock

for bringing pizza to the Market.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA DAILY, Strasburg

for featuring the Market.

LOWE'S Home Improvement Warehouse of Woodstock

for wooden toy kits.

GEORGE'S INC., Edinburg

for T shirts, prizes and 1200 lbs of ice.

DUNKIN' DONUTS, Woodstock for 100's of donuts.

THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY-HERALD, Woodstock

for featuring the Market.

Civic Groups:

Edinburg Boy Scouts
for clean-up after the market.

The Antique Tractor Club, Edinburg

for food staples, a $160 donation and for the Barrel Train.

Town of Edinburg
for the use of the Park, the sagacity of the Mayor, and the wonderful work of its many Departments.

Shenandoah County for the use of the Edinburg Parks and Recreation facilities.

The Free Clinic, Woodstock
for their presence at the Health Fair.

Hamburg Ruritans
for cooking and serving lunch and for all their hard work.

Moose Lodge 575, Woodstock

for offer of inflatable.

Edinburg Volunteer Fire Company, Edinburg

for bringing their Pierce 2009 engine for the children to explore,

for organizing the carnival games, and much more.

United States Forest Service, Edinburg

for Smokey the Bear materials.

Shenandoah County Department of Social Services, Woodstock

for having two social workers present to advise (among many other things)about SNAP (Supplemental Food Nutrition - formerly Food Stamp), Medicaid, Daycare Assistance, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Familiies), various Energy Assistance program.

Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health, Woodstock

for materials outlining their programs.

Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Forestry for Smokey the Bear badges and stickers.

Defeat Diabetes Foundation, Madeira Beach, FL

for sending 1000 English and 1000 Spanish screening test brochures.

The American Cancer Society for sending their Community Manager to the Health Fair.

Virginia State Police for providing safety advice and child fingerprinting.

Valley Educational Center for the Creative Arts (VECCA), Woodstock

for donating their artistic talents.

Shenandoah County Animal Shelter, Edinburg

for providing pet care, health and safety advice.

Humane Society of Shenandoah County, Edinburg

for providing pet advice.

Shenandoah County Sherriff's Office, Crime Prevention Unit, Woodstock

for DNA kits and safety materials.

The Dairy Farm Families of the South East for providing materials through SUDIA.

Shenandoah County Senior Center, Edinburg

for kindly storing our milk donation.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2447, Edinburg

for $200 donation.

North Shenandoah Ruritan Club, Strasburg

for prizes for the children's games, for transporting goods and working so hard.

Shenandoah County Library
for pencils, lollipops and bookmarks.

Churches and Church Groups:

Edinburg Christian Church CMF
for transport of goods to Market.

Edinburg Christian Church CWF
for organizing the clothing pick-up area.

Wakeman's Grove Church of the Brethren, Edinburg
for hot dogs and water.

United Methodist Wesley Chapel, Edinburg
for $100 donation from their Women's Group.

Antioch Church of the Brethren, Woodstock
for ketchup, mustard and napkins.

Chi Rho group, Edinburg Christian Church
for making signs for the pick-up areas of the Market.

Individuals:

Libby Rocco (tel:540-459-5951) for coordinating on-stage entertainment.

Ronnie Ross, Antique Tractor Club, for operating the Barrel Train, and much much more.

Pam Sheets (Director of Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation) and her staff for welcoming our event and the extra work and headaches associated with it.

Dan Harshman (Mayor of Edinburg) for his ongoing encouragement and advice.

David Ferguson for a table full of cans of green beans and corn.

John & Fran, Fort Valley for donation.

Ken & Brenda, Edinburg for donation.

Sharon Spangler for her Spanish fluency and willingness to help.

Sharon Hollar for her network and support.

Sandra Himelright for spreading the word in the Strasburg area.

The congregation of Edinburg Christian Church for their multiple contributions.

Rhoda Watson for her many gifts.

Janet and CF, Edinburg for donation.

Janet Grubbs, Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, Chesapeake, VA for her expertise and interest.

Melissa Andrews for securing donation.

Zane and Jean, Edinburg for donation.

Timothy and Deborah, Reliance

for donation.

Rachel, Emily, Laurel, Caroline and Bridget for their hard work preparing materials for the market.

Becca and Kacie for making posters for the Market.

Anna Belle, Fort Valley for Chester the Jester.

Jenae Jenkins, Wanda Kreutzfeldt, Rachel Adams and Leah Adams

our talented face painters.

Clive and Lucy, for bringing their artistic talents to the Market.

Details

2009-06-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Timings

Friday 24th July

The Park will be open for people to drop-off items from 3-8 pm.

Saturday 25th July

The Park will be open to drop-off items from 6 am. onwards;
but the Market does not start until 8 am.

Left Over Items

We are not expecting any left-over items, but if there should be any:

All food will go to the Food Banks.

All suitable children's clothing will be given to Shenandoah Pregnancy Center, and other clothes to local Thrift Stores.

The Edinburg Boy Scouts who are our volunteer clean-up crew will take other items for their Fall Sale.

Cash Donations
We appreciate that some organizations are not set up to donate goods or services, but would like to assist with a cash donation.

Be assured this is not a fund-raising event. Every cent donated will be used to add to what is available for needy families at the Market.

Checks should be made to Edinburg Christian Church with the notation 'For the benefit of the Edinburg Really Really Free Market.' Edinburg Christian Church is a 501c3 entity.

Help needed
24th July 3-8pm

Transporting donated goods to the Park.

Organizing pick-up areas.

25th July

Transporting people to the Market.

Helping keep the pick-up areas loaded and tidy,
loading goods out of the market.

FINAL PLANNING MEETING
23rd JULY
7 pm Edinburg Christian Church
210 Center Street
Edinburg
EVERYONE IS WELCOME

Together we can make a huge difference

2009-06-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday 25th July will see the first Really Really Free Market in our area. It will be held in Edinburg Town Park and School. What is a Really Really Free Market? It is an event where people bring what they are willing to give away - their goods and their talents. And people pick up whatever they want at no cost. No money changes hands; there is no bartering and no exchange. In today's straitened times, it will provide the folks of Shenandoah County with an opportunity to come together, to care, to share, to have fun and relaxation- all at no cost.

We have no doubt that there will be plenty of clothing, furniture, books, household goods and toys brought by people who are happy to give away items that they no longer need. We will be appealing to people with fresh garden produce to bring any they can spare. And we are searching for other food and consumables that people in need can pick up for nothing.

There will be range of free medical screening and health care advice, social services information and free financial advice. There will be child DNA recording and finger-printing and safety advice.

We want to create a fun day out, with food and lots to enjoy. We are approaching local businesses, corporations and organizations to see what help they can provide. This is a new venture for our area. We know that we are touching a nerve. People are eager to help.

We also know this is something far bigger than the small group of people with the original idea. What we have so far achieved is due in large part to those who have joined us.

There are people up and down the county who need a Really Really Free Market. Can you help? Do you have goods to give away? A truck to help haul? Do you know needy people who you can bring to the Market? Can you help organize, lift or tote? Do you have wonderful ideas or useful contacts we know nothing about?

Everyone is welcome!
Join us!

__________________________________________________

Two problems with a single solution!

Problem 1 - Too much stuff!

Are you out of closet space? Is your basement crammed with boxes that the movers carried in years ago but you have never got around to unpacking? Are your rafters groaning under the weight of stuff that you know you will never use but which is far too good to throw away? Do your kids have enough spare school supplies to sink a battleship? Do you have too many clothes? Too many books? Toys and clothes that your children have outgrown? Duplicate tools? Things that your kids left behind when they left home which somehow they now see as yours?

Wouldn't your life be easier if only you could find a good home for all the stuff you really don't need?

The solution? Unclutter your home, your shed, and your garage. Bring your good stuff to the Edinburg Really Really Free Market, and let someone who needs it take it home.

Wouldn't it give you a warm feeling to know it had found a good home?

Wouldn't you just revel in that extra space?

Problem 2 - Not enough stuff!

Have your children outgrown the clothes they have, but you have no money to buy them what they need? Are you without basic furniture? Is your family short of household items? Food? School supplies? Toys?

When was the last time you could afford a day out with hot dogs, snacks and entertainment?

We are not promising Busch Gardens, but the Edinburg Really Really Free Market will be a fun event with food, music and entertainment. The day is absolutely free. Pick up whatever you can use. Truly, everything is free. This includes health, social service, financial and safety advice.

Coming together to make it happen

People are only too aware of the financial difficulties besetting their neighbors in Shenandoah County. There are many parents out of work, and many families who have lost their home.

This is a difficult and sad summer for many people. It would be very easy to decide that the problem is just too big.

We know we cannot solve all of the problems with a single event, but surely we can help! This is the momentum behind the Edinburg Really Really Free Market.

If everyone gives what they can, together we can make a huge difference.

We are looking to businesses and corporations, church and civic groups to provide the snacks, services and entertainment. Some are donating their services, some are donating goods, and some are helping with the costs of mounting and advertizing the event.

NOW, we need the help of hundreds of people across Shenandoah County to make the huge free yard sale a reality.

Get on board! Spread the word!

[Adapted from an article on shenandoah.com (June 25-28)]

___________________________________________________

Final week!

With the Market days away, we sometimes get fixated on what we cannot control- Will we have enough furniture, clothing and supplies to meet people's needs? Who will come? Will we have enough food? Will we have enough help?

At such times, it is good to remember how much of our dream is already in place, and to remind ourselves of the perils of dreaming too small! To this end we leave you with the story of The Moth who Fell in Love with a Star.