Community Corner

Community Rummage Sale Benefits Dexter Tornado Relief Fund

The tornado donation center at Creekside Intermediate School will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

As Dexter residents make the transition from emergency status to rebuilding, leftover donations will be available to the community for a free-will donation on Saturday.

"The time has come to distribute the remaining donated items and turn our attention to helping families put their lives, homes and businesses back in order. To this end we are organizing a rummage sale of donation center items, with all proceeds going to the Dexter Relief Fund," Barbara Read, communications liaison said. "We know folks have been interested in helping Dexter out, and this is an opportunity for the greater community to help us in a big way while also having a really fun time rummaging through the piles of items we still have in our donation centers."

For the past two months, donations from across the state have been sent to Dexter for families affected by the . Read said both the Science classroom at Creekside Intermediate School and a storage room at St. Joseph's Catholic Church are still full of items, including clothes for men and women of all ages, new and used books, toys, backpacks and household items.

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"People in Dexter used the donations in the immediate aftermath of the tornado, but we still have so much leftover," Read said. "Dexter families who have been impacted by the tornado will benefit more from monetary donations at this point and we see the rummage sale as a way to stay true to the spirit of the donations, share with the community and give maximum benefit the tornado victims all at the same time."

Read said the rummage sale is a "take what you need, pay what you can" event.

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"None of the items will have prices on them," she said. "Whatever we can't sell, we'll be donating to the Salvation Army."

Read stressed that the sale is not just for families affected by the tornado.

"We're telling everyone to please come and help us out. No one should feel bad about taking something that they need," she said. "Creekside and St. Joseph's need the space cleared out."

Nancy Paul, director of Faith in Action, said the nonprofit is overseeing the distribution of money from the Dexter Relief Fund.

"We've had about 100 applicants since we started disbursing money two weeks ago," Paul said. "We've probably distributed about half of the fund, but we still have another $100,000."

Paul said donations to the fund have slowed, but continue to trickle in weekly. Applicants who want to utilize the relief fund can fill out an application at , the , , Chelsea State Bank or .

"Whenever possible we're sending out checks to help pay for insurance deductibles, tree and lawn work, and items that aren't typically covered by insurance companies," Paul said."We've also been providing gas money for residents who had to move outside the school district as a result of home damage."

Paul said checks are usually mailed out within a week of receiving an application.

"We require applicants to provide documentation of their expense when they submit the application, and sometimes that holds up the process if we have to track down the applicant," she explained. "Most people have been pretty good about getting us the paperwork we need to help them."

Saturday's sale will be held at , 2615 Baker Road. Drivers should use the large south parking lot, and enter on the stadium/track side of the building. The sale will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, email barbararead@comcast.net.


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