What’s Up in the Attic December 19, 2020

ANGELS ARE WALKING AMONG US IN FLOYD COUNTY

Who? These Angels are the about 80 volunteers who regularly show up to help at one or more of the Angel’s Ministry four stores plus the Donation Center: namely, the Angels in the Attic Store, Angels Boutique, Angels Christmas Store, Angels Furniture Store, and the Angels Donation Center.

They are your neighbors, friends, relatives who volunteer. Many take a personal risk showing up during the pandemic. Others have compromised conditions, or have one in their household, and, understandably, temporarily cannot serve.

Some of the volunteers serve as cashiers and bag packers in the front of the stores, so you see their faces. However, there are many, many more behind the scenes who stock the merchandise, or who rearrange mussed up racks near the end of the day; there is the team at the Angels Donation Center who go to the mini-barn and lug everything back into the building – then sort the items into categories – and next load the van to resupply the main store. That is hard work!

There’s more: when the van arrives, stuffed, at the Angels in the Attic Store, it has to be unloaded into the back room. Another team must unbox and arrange all the merchandise into categories for the restockers for where they are to displayed in different areas in the store, such as clothing, toys, shoes, dishes, videos, picture frames, tools, light fixtures, etc.

Oh, there are those volunteers at the Angels Furniture Store. Mostly heavy and bulky, the items that are delivered must be moved under cover and over to the category based on store layout. Most items need to be dusted, or polished.

There are also behind the scenes angels. There are those who have made bequests. There are those who have anonymously made sizeable donations of land, buildings, or money. There are those two angels, a woodworker and a local artist, who replaced the worn out wooden angel in front of the Angels Boutique with a new one, named Abby – then refurbished, repainted, and relettered the old one and delivered it to the Angels Christmas Store. There are contractors who either charge for materials only and donate their time to do various fixits on the buildings.

Have you wondered where the money comes from to erect the Angels Furniture Store? Well, it does not have a mortgage, and none of Angels facilities has one. Think, for the most part, donors. This increases the funds that can be released to local charities.

Then, there is the Board of Directors comprised of a variety of leaders in the community in finance, agriculture, churches, and legal who offer their time and advice.

Now you understand the angels at Angels Ministry are hard working volunteers who are members of your community.

Have a great Christmas and New Years, everybody.