Annual garage sale gains grow Angels for Animals

By AMANDA TONOLI

atonoli@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Angels for Animals

Gallery

From its humble beginnings in a chicken coop to today’s $3 million facility filled with volunteers and staff dedicated to rescuing abandoned animals, Angels for Animals has always relied on the generosity of its donors.

Among its most-popular fundraisers is the annual Giant Garage Sale at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

The 22nd garage sale, made up completely of donated items and volunteer time, helps Angels fund the Green Township facility and take on more rescues, said Carrie Brown, Angels for Animals general manager.

Last year, Brown said, the sale raised $110,000. With the new admission prices and thousands of square feet of bargains, she hopes to top that amount this year.

“It gives us the opportunity to help the animals a little more,” Brown said.

The sale has expanded from five to six buildings at the fairgrounds, 7265 Columbiana-Canfield Road, for this year’s April 22-24 sale.

Various items will be for sale ranging from books and toys to small appliances, furniture, antiques and more.

Each building is made up of similarly costing items, making the sale easy to navigate according to price – not including antique items sold in a separate building. Prices for items range from 50 cents to $175.

Donations are being taken at the fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 18-20.

Brown said the organization is not only looking for garage-sale items but also for manpower.

She said she’s looking for people to come donate their time and car space – bigger trucks to transport items from one building to the next, as well as helping customers transport purchases from the sale.

“Our employees donate their own time outside of work,” Brown said. “We are always looking for volunteers.”

Volunteer Kristin Wagner, medical manager for Angels for Animals, said she enjoys being part of the event’s overall commotion.

“A lot of time it [volunteering] is thankless, but the animals appreciate it,” Brown said.

Ed Sebben, garage sale manager, is donating 10 days out of his regular work schedule elsewhere to manage the event.

“He does extremely well. I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Brown said.

Donations and volunteer work are mostly what runs Angels for Animals – as well as some grants.

“It started as a chicken coop, and in 2001we bought this $3 million building from money we raised. It was all through donations,” Brown said.

Angels for Animals provides various services to the community including spay and neutering, cat and dog adoption and its six-year-old wellness clinic.

“Our wellness service is fairly new, and it’s open to the public. It makes a big difference in the community because it is low cost. While a regular exam is regularly $40 anywhere else, it is $25 here,” Brown said. “It’s a really good thing. It makes it so people don’t have to give up their animals. ... It is all for the care of the animals.”

According to a news release, garage-sale volunteers are asking donators not to bring TVs, computer monitors, couches, safes, encyclopedias, Christmas trees or mattresses. The garage sale also does not allow pets, strollers or wagons in the buildings for safety reasons.

People who need pickups for large donations can call 330-549-1111, ext. 330.