Flea Market Week at Dutilh Church

By: Leigha Pindroh

As you may know, this week is Flea Market Week—an incredibly busy and inspiring few days of ministry within Dutilh Church. This year, I've had the chance to see just how much planning, organizing, and hard work goes into this two-day event. My first experience with the Flea Market was as a new member of the church, and it's part of why we grew to love the congregation so much.

In 2021, my then 5-year-old son, Maddox, heard that the Flea Market was looking for volunteers to help organize the many donations the church receives throughout the week leading up to the sale. He urged me to sign up because he wanted to help. I was apprehensive, as spending my day organizing items with people I didn’t know sounded daunting. But Maddox was adamant, so I signed up for a timeslot.

When we arrived for our shift, we were greeted by Kay Rimer. The funny thing about meeting Kay first was that she and her husband Jack were our family’s “Be A Friend” pen-pals during COVID. We hadn’t met them in person yet, but we felt like we knew them through our letters and a few phone calls.

Kay put us to work, and we spent our time collecting drop-off items, placing them in their appropriate areas, and getting to know other church members. Maddox enjoyed checking out all the donated toys and scoping out which ones he’d like to purchase once the sale began.

We left our shift tired but feeling good about the help we provided and the new connections we made. Since our first Flea Market, we've fostered relationships from that initial volunteer experience and feel more connected to the church and other Flea Market volunteers.

If you’re considering volunteering, I urge you to do so. Not only will it help this important ministry, but you may also be surprised at the relationships you build along the way.

Volunteer Information

Volunteers are welcome now until July 27th. The official sale begins on Friday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and continues on Saturday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cleanup will begin promptly at 2 p.m. on Saturday.