Greetings, St. John’s | San Juan Family!  Happy Summer!

The Vestry had a great meeting on Thursday, July 22, and others from that meeting will be reporting on what’s happening with the renovation and finances.  I cannot add to their reports, other to say that everyone is doing a great job.  I do want to report, however, on the happenings with the July Jumble!

We began our work on Monday, July 24, by accepting donations from those who have been waiting for this opportunity to move possessions along for over a year – I’m sure being quarantined spurred folks to go through their “stuff!”  Thank You! to everyone who saved and donated items to the Jumble!  There were so very many donations – truck after car after van, they just kept coming!  Someone commented on Monday that more donations were made on this Monday than were made on any previous Monday of Jumble week.  Certainly a preview of what the week was going to be like, and we weren’t disappointed!

Once items were received, we unpacked and sorted through them to decide onto which table these treasures needed to be displayed.  There were many tables!  As many as the Parish Hall could hold!  There were at least five tables filled with only books, more tables with kitchen & dining wares, housewares, toys and games and children’s items, all kinds of craft items, and things for our pets.  Finally, we had tables full of items more suitable for men, like sporting goods and car things.  Since the Jumble was usually held in June, there was always a table for Father’s Day items, and we continued the tradition albeit too late for Father’s Day 2021.

Our work continued throughout the week as new volunteers came and went depending on when they were available to help.  I decided early on that I would just work every day, all day, and so I did.  Wow, did I get my steps in every day without even trying!  I was tired and sore each evening since I am not used to standing all day, but I was also very invigorated by getting to know other women (mostly) from St. John’s | San Juan, and that feeling of camaraderie while working together just can’t be beat.  Looking back, it hardly seemed like work at all, because we felt useful and helpful and enjoyed just being together and focused on a goal!

Adele Roberts (a Vestry member) and Lin Hampton (Busy Bees chair), who jointly directed this Jumble, are the most amazing women!  They’re dedication to our community and their willingness to do this, is evidence of their love of St. John’s | San Juan.  They had decided that only those items that seemed truly special would be priced, while all other merchandise could be purchased by donation – the buyer would decide what they wanted to pay.  The plan worked brilliantly!  

Saturday arrived, and the doors officially opened at 9:00 a.m.  Except for the first group through the door, there was never a line of folks waiting to get inside.  Most who entered were very willing to wear a mask – there were only a handful of folks who chose not to be masked.  Buyers were very generous with their donations.  We earned over $2,000 in this Jumble and still had an amazing amount of stuff to “get rid of.”

On Sunday, after those who attended church in person “shopped,” the Jumble crew started packing up and organizing for the next place all our “extras” were to go.  We only worked for a little while on Sunday, but were back at it again on Monday morning!  Adele was in contact with City Gates, an organization that helps people move into a first place after being homeless.  They took all the basic home items – dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, glasses, sheets, blankets, pillows, and since St. John’s | San Juan wasn’t doing clothing, anything we received, Adele took for them.  The books that remained were packed up and put into a parishioner’s garage to await their final delivery to a used book store in Tacoma that will purchase them!  The bulk of the remaining rummage was packed up and delivered to Value Village – we did two van-loads and two SUV-loads.  Since it was a Monday, Value Village was hopping!  Thank you very much to the men who packed my van (Michael Clifthorne and George Knotts), they certainly knew what they were doing!  My “Lady Garnet” was loaded to the gunwales and I could only see out my side mirrors.  These guys made sure that when I stopped or started, nothing moved, since everything was packed so tightly!!

As we were packing up, we kept looking for boxes to fill.  When everything was finally done and we were gathering together all that remained, there were more boxes.  Kathy mentioned that like the story of the loaves and fishes in the feeding of the 5,000, we also had leftovers.  The Lord had provided for everything and there were still extra boxes to use!

I even learned something I didn’t know before about the Parish Hall!  Did you know that outside the Children’s Library there is an old “dumb waiter” that currently stores card tables?   I didn’t know that!  I also discovered that the kitchen and the storage room across the hall are full of “stuff” that needs to be evaluated about whether or not they will ever be used again so choices can be made about their fate.  So many extra decisions since the arrival of Covid!  During the slack times between donations, Adele was trying to organize the kitchen cabinets – a massive undertaking!  If anyone has a desire to help clean up the kitchen, please let Adele know.

Today, Tuesday, Adele and Lin are hosting a thank you lunch for everyone who worked at the July Jumble.  We will talk and laugh and reminisce about what a wonderful time we all had!  Being a community is so important, especially in these crazy times.  Thank you to everyone who helped make this July Jumble a success, and especially to Adele and Lin and Mark and Nancy and Mary Jane and Nicki and Dan and Meredith and Kathy and Lucy and Mary and Sandy and Mary and Michael and Terri and Sue and Jenny and Jessica and Sherry and George and many more whose names have fallen out of my brain.

I am so glad to have been able to help with this event and to get to know each of you just a little bit better.  Please, if you are in need of anything, let me know.  I can be reached by email at fawn@stjohnsoly.org or by cell phone (360) 259-5933.  Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful August!

Blessings,

Fawn Hacker

Senior Warden