Description: Invite young adults to opt out of the consumer mayhem of the holidays by hosting a gift sale of donated new or lightly used items. Proceeds can benefit a parish ministry, local non-profit organization, or other charity.
Get Ready
- Prep Time: This event has many details, so it’s best to start planning as far in advance as possible. We suggest several weeks to two months in advance.
- Volunteers Needed: Recruit a planning team of three or four young adults to spearhead this event. Ideal volunteers have proven talent (or potential talent!) in event planning, advertising, and teamwork. Find two or three volunteers to price and label the donated new or lightly used items for the gift sale. Also, find volunteers to run the gift sale itself. You’ll need someone to work the cash box, and at least one other person to be available for greeting customers and answering their questions.
- Supplies: Secure supplies including a money box with some cash and change, tables to display items, pamphlets and flyers with information about the ministry or non-profit benefitting from the sale, flyers about your young adult ministry that include information about how folks can get involved in future programs, and recycled plastic grocery bags that you can offer customers to carry their items home.
- Reserve the Space: You will want a space that has easy access, yet still has enough room to display items. A parish hall or school gym or cafeteria would be ideal. A gathering space in the parish may work, if there is adequate space for walking.
- Ideal Group Size: You will want at least four young adults to coordinate the event, but many others can volunteer at the sale, donate items, or be customers!
- Who is this for? All young adults, in conjunction with other parish community members who will serve as donors and customers.
- When is a good time for this? It’s great to hold the sale on a weekend, especially around the liturgies when people are already present.
- Publicize the Program:
- Donations: Advertise for the donation of new or lightly used gifts from young adults and other church community members. All your regular communication mediums for young adult ministry will be useful for circulating this invitation, including or in addition to Mass announcements and bulletin announcements. When you extend this invitation, it will be helpful to provide examples of the types of items you’re seeking: pottery, tea sets, throw pillows, unique vases, decorative knickknacks for the home, cookbooks, framed pictures, coaster sets. (TIP: You may also wish to be clear what you will not accept, particularly related to books, clothing, and/or electronics.) Solicit the donation of creative pairings and gift baskets: wine glasses paired with a nice bottle of wine; coffee mugs paired with tea or coffee beans; a movie-themed gift basket with DVDs, nice popcorn, and candy.
- Gift Sale: You’ll also need to advertise for the gift sale. Include information such as date, time, and location — and don’t forget to emphasize that the proceeds will benefit a good cause. Remember to identify your young adult ministry as the event sponsor. Consider advertising through church bulletin announcements, Mass announcements, the parish website and Facebook page, your local newspaper, nearby churches (Catholic and non-Catholic alike!) and religious communities, local community centers, and community bulletin boards at grocery stores, coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, etc. The ministry or organization receiving the proceeds from your sale may be willing to advertise through their regular communication mediums, too.
Prayer for Program Planner: God of All, provide us with patience for the details of planning, kindness in our work with others, and generosity with our resources as we prepare for and facilitate this event.
Community Building: This program has the potential to foster community on a number of levels. First, young adults will bond as they collaborate to plan and host the gift sale. Second, partnering with a benefiting ministry or non-profit can help to establish a new relationship with another group or continue to foster one already in process. Third, the gift sale is itself an opportunity to nurture relationships with people throughout your parish and the broader community.
