CFHS students hold garage sale, raise money for Kenyan village

 Sara Gabriele/Staff Writer

Junior Karly Fuller sat breathless, smile stretching across her face, as yet another person insisted she keep the change from the $20 for their small pile of purchases.

Her garage sale last Saturday was not to get rid of old clutter, but to raise money for the village in Kenya she had visited over the summer with a church group.

After she returned, Fuller talked with her small group at church and decided on a garage sale as a way to raise money to buy medical supplies for the village she had visited. The girls began compiling their old clothes and publicizing for the Saturday sale.

Setting their goals high, the girls hoped to reach $2,000, and by mid morning it was clear they were going to reach the goal.
“After two hours, we realized we had made over $1,000. I was just in shock, and I think everyone else felt the same. We were all just like, wow,” Fuller said. “I couldn’t believe people’s generosity.”

By 7 a.m. people began milling into the Fuller’s garage and purchasing the cheaply priced items, many donating their change or making donations in general. By the end of the sale, the girls had reached $3,200.

All the money will be sent to the village Fuller went to over the summer through the 410 bridge, the church organization that organized Fuller’s trip. The donation will be used to buy medical supplies.

“For us, doesn’t seem like a lot, but there it is. Things there cost so little,” said Ranae Krull, Fuller’s small group leader. “I think the trip really helped give her a new perspective. She saw they’re real people with real needs.”

While in Kenya, Fuller worked with the group and aided in some of the building aspects of the clinic, but she also spent a lot of time with the people and getting to know them.

“They became my friends and helped me a lot, changing the way I see the world,” Fuller said. “I went to help, but I think I got more out it than the people I was helping.”

Since all the supplies will be purchased in Kenya, the money will go a lot farther. The supplies will aid with many of the medical issues Fuller saw when she was in the village, such as prenatal care and AIDS prevention.

“When I got back, I didn’t feel like I could just not do anything,” Fuller said. “A lot of people say, I wish I could go to Kenya and be able to go over there and help. And it’s awesome I went and I wish everyone else could go, but it’s important to realize you don’t have to be over there to help.”