Charity begins at home.

But whose home? I need to share this story or else my veins will pop. I don’t know what to do with this but let it out. So here goes….

We’re having a huge (and I mean huge) annual charity yard sale. For many years now, one woman has run it, and the last several another has co-chaired. It goes smoothly and makes a big chunk of change. Money that we use in our county to supplement food for some kids over the weekend, support domestic violence initiatives and take food there, help out the wonderful homeless shelter here and more. Good stuff.

So lots of people save good stuff all year for the sale. Then we all take it to the home where the sale happens. We have volunteers who come the day before to organize and price the goods and volunteers who come the day of to sell. So today, I went by to bring a couple more things and the pricing was well underway. But there was one person who was not pricing things. She was choosing all her “finds” and putting them in boxes and bags. Then, if previous years’ experience holds true, she would offer some amount for the lot and whatever she offered would be graciously accepted.

*I hear she has some financial difficulties. She takes these items and sells them for a profit to support herself. And while being a dealer is a perfectly legitimate business, this is different. Read on.

So a long-standing member called me over to see something. (Did I mention I’m the president of this group?) Turns out that the dealer (who is not a member of our group) had hidden the most valuable items under less valuable items in her bags and boxes. It was definitely, without a doubt, meant to mislead. In other words, it was theft. And, in my mind, the worst kind. Taking from charity.

Well, I was floored. Beyond floored. I was angry. My members did not donate items for her, but for the charity’s benefit. This was unacceptable. The valuables were taken out of the box and they will be sold on eBay. That was our plan all along…to scope the donations and see if any of the items had enough value to warrant selling them individually. You know yard-salers…pay pennies on the dollar. On eBay, we could do much better.

I know she got away with some. I know the woman who worked tirelessly on the sale for years had told her she could buy some things on the cheap. And she did it to be kind and generous and to help a woman in need. And, in my mind, the woman betrayed her trust and stole.

I am so disappointed. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself.

Deep sigh.