ORONO, Maine — The Wilson Center and Terrell House are hosting a “Yard Sard” over the weekend to benefit their community initiatives, such as the Wilson Center’s food security programing.
“One of our students actually just misspelled the word ‘sale’ on a yard sale sign and she wrote ‘Yard Sard’ and we thought it was so funny, we decided that ‘sard’ stood for ‘sale and re-distribution’ and we rolled with it,” Sonja Birthisel, director of the Wilson Center, said.
A Yard Sard event takes the idea of yard sale, but everything being sold is donated by local students or community members, with the goal of reducing landfill waste.
Another important detail — everything is technically free, but donations are encouraged. Everything at the Yard Sard is not marked with a price tag and is sold by a pay-what-you-can style.
“If there are students or lower-income people who just need things for their life, they are welcome to come take them. And if you want to give a donation to the Wilson Center and Terrell House, you are welcome to do that too,” Birthisel said.
The money raised over the weekend will be split between the organizations.
The Terrell House serves as a hands-on living center where students tend a demonstration garden for permaculture living and learning. Its share of the donations will go toward its community permaculture garden.
The Wilson Center is an independent, progressive religious and spiritual voice for UMaine students, and the money raised will go toward multi-faith and social justice-based weekly programs.
“The Wilson Center, to me, is very important and a very special place of people, of all different backgrounds, gathering together," Belu Catz, who lives at the Terrell House, said.
Anyone who wants to donate, support the Wilson Center and Terrell House, or just peruse the wares, can stop by the Yard Sard event at the Wilson Center in Orono.
The event will be held Friday September 9 through Sunday.