davis_square yard sale

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

As we discussed earlier, there have been lots of progress made in terms of setting this up.

If we are to hold this event in a park, we would need a permit from the city of Somerville. This entailed getting approval from the heads of four city departments as well as approval from the Board of Alderman. Since the board only meets once or twice a month, we needed to get an application in ASAP if we were to hold an event in July.

Because of the time sensitive nature of this, we had to make some decisions about the charity we were going to help, the time and place we were to hold the event, etc. In our application, we choose Sunday July 27th from 11am to 3pm in Hodgkins Park. The charity that we are going to help is the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

I'm happy to report that thanks to the help of tomchampion, closetalker11, and several others, our application for a permit has been approved! We have also been in contact with the Somerville Homeless Coalition and they are going to work with us in promoting the event. It is going to be a reality and so we need to now start switching mode to getting items and volunteers for that day. For right now, please think about what items you can donate for this. We will also need lots of help that day and could use several volunteers. More info will follow shortly, but I just wanted you all to know that this is going to happen and to mark your calendar for July 27th.

Comments

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Thank you :)

I will email you either later this evening or tomorrow morning.

[ron_newman]

That sounds great! Media outlets I'd want to reach: Somerville Journal, Somerville News, Boston Globe City Weekly, WMFO radio (Tufts), SCAT (local cable TV). Depending on how big this is going to get, maybe Boston Globe Sidekick/Calendar, Phoenix, Weekly Dig.

[ron_newman]

The Cambridge Chronicle and Somerville Journal share an office in Davis Square. I don't know to what extent Somerville stories are reprinted in the Cambridge paper, though.

[belladonna.livejournal.com]

My degree is in mass comm and I did non-profit marketing, including TONS of press releases, for awhile, if you'd like any help with it. Unfortunately it was all in Hartford so I don't have any contacts up here, but I know my way around a pitch. :)

Email is belladonna at blueohana dot com.

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I have a lot of stuff I've been meaning to sell.

I think I'm available to volunteer; I have storage space and a car if the timing works.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Both of these things will definitely be helpful. I'll be in touch!!

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Sweet!

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

I am not available to volunteer (that is Lowell Folk Festival weekend) however I should have things to donate/sell. Will there be a place folks can drop stuff off before the event? If not, that's fine, I will freecycle the stuff.

You're awesome for helping to put this together!

[ron_newman]

Lowell Folk Festival weekend makes my participation less than likely as well. Maybe I can help with something beforehand, though.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

We'll definitely need help before-hand, chiefly:

1) to be a "drop point" for people donating stuff
2) pricing and sorting things
3) publicity

Don't worry, I'll be soliciting you personally for help with these things!

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

We're definitely going to have some before-the-sale drop points. Where in Davis are you located? I can come get the stuff from your house, if it'll fit into a Mazda 6 :).

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

Hah. I'm...up in Lowell. :-D

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Haha, d'oh indeed!!! If you can bring stuff to Davis, I can collect it from you. If not, OK, we can hopefully still work something out.

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

Which park? I'm sure I've got some things I won't be needing. Could maybe the VFW or somebody loan tables? I guess it might make sense to coordinate with Goodwill to take the unsold things?

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

The park is Hodgkins Park, that park up on Holland Street. It should be big enough for us to set up and still have room to move around and socialize.

We definitely are going to need tables and that is high on the priority of things we need to find. Everything left unsold will be given to Goodwill on Elm street, and if they were able to pick it up for us that would be very nice.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I can convince my BF to drive stuff over there, too. He doesn't realize it yet, but he'll be volunteering that day ;-).

[belladonna.livejournal.com]

Hooray! You know I'm in. Just make sure I don't get too drunk at my birthday party. ;)

We have a car for transporting stuff.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Whoohoooo! Awesome. No shots at the BD party.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

But shots after the sale? YES PLEASE!

[turil.livejournal.com]

The folks I talked to at the Homeless Coalition didn't know about it. You might want to ask whomever you've been talking to to make an announcement there in case people start asking for more info.

I'm actually going to be officially homeless next week, and have to get rid of most of my (really great) stuff, and would be happy to donate it, if someone was willing to store it for a few weeks.