Tag sale to benefit Neighbors Helping Neighbors

ANCRAMDALE — Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) is sponsoring a tag sale on Oct. 12 at the Ancramdale Presbyterian Church Hall.

NHN is an informal volunteer organization started in 2006 as an expansion of the “telephone tree†concept. Having grown in two years to over 40 households, the group has been involved in numerous charitable causes and community events.

In the past it has given holiday food baskets to needy Ancramdale families not covered by other organizations. The group has also established an ongoing clothing and household goods drive and held a number of successful community events including an open house, Christmas Carol Sings and an annual pig roast and vegetarian barbecue, which raised around $1,500 that was given to the Ancram Youth Commission.

NHN has also helped out with pets and stray animals in the area. It runs a trap-spay-neuter-inoculate program for feral cats as well as an area-wide Pet Food Emergency Fund that purchases food for struggling local families’ pets and negotiates reduced vet charges with local professionals.

“This is our first tag sale,†said Anne Carriere, NHN coordinator. “We’ve sold things at the pig roasts, but this is really our first foray into this kind of fundraiser.â€

Rental space for the tag sale is around 10 square feet and will cost $20 with a suggested donation that 20 percent of all proceeds go toward the fundraiser.

All funds raised, including a planned bake sale of cookies, brownies and other snacks, will go toward NHN projects, including food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas, providing assistance to those who need temporary help, the various animal projects, and other ongoing Neighbors’ efforts.

“The wonderful thing about our group is that there are so many great people involved, and when we put our collective heads together we really get a lot done,†Carriere said.

The tag sale will be held on Sunday, Oct. 12, from noon to 4 p.m., at the Ancramdale Presbyterian Church Hall, located on County Route 8. Tables and chairs will be available to rent inside or parties renting space may bring their own.

Registration forms are available at the Ancramdale Post Office or through Anne Carriere. She can be reached by telephone at 518-789-9134 or by e-mail at annecarriere@earthlink.net. Forms, along with the registration check, can be mailed to NHN, P.O. Box 97, Ancramdale, NY 12503. Registration ends Sunday, Oct. 5, but last-minute sign-ups will be available as long as space permits for an extra $5.