Senior center raises money for family

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Neighbors | Submitted..Volunteers (from left to right) Carol Ricker, Linda Biggs, Colleen Village and Kay Lavelle presented a check to the Michael Village family for $1.400. The money was raised by a Trash and Treasure Sale that was hosted by the Austintown Senior Center.

The Austintown Senior Center and Linda Biggs family raised more than $1,400 for the Michael Village family at its Trash and Treasure Sale held on Sept. 24 at the center’s headquarters, 100 Weschester Drive, Austintown.

Michael Village, 42, who was diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome, has been suffering from Hodgkins Disease and other serious illnesses for more than 10 years. He recently woke from an induced coma at the Cleveland Clinic after undergoing many emergency surgeries and has now been moved back to the area. Although he still cannot speak, Village can mouth words and is able to communicate with his wife, Colleen, and three young sons.

The family faced the threat of being homeless earlier this year and although accommodations were eventually found, they are still in dire need of money to cover day-to-day living expenses.

Members of the Austintown Senior Center were enthusiastic about the The Trash and Treasure Sale and along with family and friends, donated the merchandise, including furniture, bedding, ornaments, television sets, jewelry, exercise equipment and books. They also provided refreshments and staffed the sale.

When Kay Lavelle, volunteer at the center, announced the $1,400 profit, its members clapped and cheered.

“It’s a way of giving back to the community that we have been a part of for so many years,” said Lavelle.