Episode show notes
Credits
Host: Maggie Blaha
Theme music: “Thanks for the Memory” written by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger, performed by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross in the 1938 film of the same name
Yard sales don’t just have to be a way to unload stuff you don’t want anymore; they can be a source for good, too.
At least that’s what Lexie Dellaney—a 10-year-old girl living in County Offaly, Ireland—discovered when she was looking for ways to raise money to help homeless charities in Ireland. Her first yard sale was a huge success, bringing in over 400 Euro that she used to purchase items different charities could provide homeless people across the country.
Since hosting a yard sale fundraiser when she was 7, Lexie’s moved on to other methods of collecting donations like Lexie’s Homeless Appeal, a Facebook fundraiser her parents helped her run.
Maggie talks with Lexie about all the volunteer work she’s accomplished and tells you how to run your own yard sale fundraiser.
Learn more about Lexie’s Homeless Appeal fundraiser, here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/482974398935650/
Charities mentioned in this episode:
Inner City Helping Homeless: https://ichh.ie/
North Dublin Bay Housing Crisis: http://irishhousingnetwork.org/
Feed Our Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/feedourhomeless
Resources:
‘5 Steps to Informed Giving’
‘Questions to Ask Charities Before Donating’
Focus Ireland’s research on homelessness
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Photos of Lexie doing her fundraising work
Episode transcript
INTRO
Maggie: You’re listening to Thrift: What Your Garage Sale Says About You, a podcast that explores the stories behind the things we once loved and are ready to let go of.
THEME MUSIC [30 seconds]
Maggie: Happy New Year, everyone! And for any other holidays you all might have recently celebrated, I hope they were happy and joyous. I’m Maggie Blaha, and I’m back with another episode about why we hold on to stuff and when we decide it’s time to sell that stuff at a yard sale.
Since the holidays just ended and we all likely still have a generous and giving spirit, I thought I’d treat you all to this episode about running a yard sale to raise money for a charitable cause. I released an episode last season called, A Yard Sale for a Cause about a church in Atlanta that was hosting yard sales to raise money for a mission trip to Mexico. You’ll find that episode in the archive if you want to check it out.
In this episode, I go into more detail about picking a charity and setting up a yard sale fundraiser. The episode includes a very special interview with Lexie Dellaney, a 10-year-old girl from Ireland who has been raising money for the homeless population in her community since she was 7. Her very first fundraiser was a yard sale, and she’s since started to use social media to help raise awareness about the different charities she wants to help.
I talked to both Lexie and her mom, Lillian, over the phone, so it may be a little hard to hear at times. I’ll interject to clarify where I can. I’ve mostly kept this interview in its original Q&A format, which is different from most of the episodes I’ve released.
Now here’s my interview with Lexie Dellaney.
INTERVIEW
Maggie: I came across an article about Lexie and all the money she’s raised for local homeless charities in an Irish online publication a few months ago, and I reached out to Lillian Dellaney to see if Lexie would be interested in being interviewed on the podcast. Considering that this is a humble little podcast based in the United States, I’m very honored that they were both willing to set aside time to talk to me.
[Sound of a phone being picked up]
Lillian Dellaney: Hello?
Maggie: Hi, is this Lillian?
Lillian: Yeah, speaking, how are you?
Maggie: Hi, I’m Maggie. Yes, it’s great to talk to you, finally.
Lillian: Finally! (Laughs)
Maggie: Is now still a good time? Can you hear me OK?
Lillian: Yeah, we can hear you perfect.
Maggie: Great. So I just wanted to start by introducing myself again. My name’s Maggie, and I have a podcast based in the US about yard sales, and I just came across some articles about Lexie and how she was using yard sales, at least at one point, to fundraise for the homeless community in Ireland, and I just wanted to interview you.
[Maggie, as narrator, interjects]
Maggie: Just thought I’d pop in to mention that it took us a while to find a good time to schedule the interview. For one, there’s about a 5-hour time difference, and Lexie is pretty busy with school and Irish step dancing practice.
[Back to the phone interview]
Lillian: Yeah, that’s no problem at all. I’ll just put Lexie on here now.
Lexie: Hello.
Maggie: Hi Lexie, how are you?
Lexie: Good.
Maggie: Where do you live?
Lexie: In County Offaly in Ireland.
Maggie: And what’s it like to live there?
Lexie: It’s very nice. We’re sort of in the middle and in the countryside, so..
Maggie: Nice. I’ve only been to Ireland once to visit some family there. Beautiful country. What do you like about the area you live in?
Lexie: I like it because it’s kind of small. It’s not too big and it’s not too small, so it’s in the middle.
Maggie: So it feels like it’s just right, basically?
Lexie: Yeah.
Maggie: Got it. I know you started raising money for the homeless community in your area, so how old were you when you started doing that?
Lexie: I was 7.
Maggie: 7? That’s a pretty big thing to take on. How did you get started with fundraising and decide that’s what you wanted to do?
Lexie: So we were in Grafton Street and saw a homeless boy who was around 16, and I wanted to help him, so we went to Burger King to buy a meal that we gave him. Then my mom and dad tried to talk to me about what it meant, and I wanted to do this ever since.
[Maggie, narrator, interjects]
Maggie: Lexie’s being modest; there’s more to her story than that. According to Lillian Dellaney, Lexie’s mom, it was clear that seeing the young homeless boy in Dublin really affected her. In fact, about 2 weeks after this event, Lexie was lucky enough to win 300 Euro in the lottery, and she decided she wanted to buy things for the homeless.
Lillian happened to have a friend who worked for the Inner City Helping Homeless charity in Ireland, so they reached out to the organization to see how they could help. That’s when the idea for the yard sale came about. Since then, Lexie has collected donations and held fundraisers for charities such as the North Dublin Bay Housing Crisis, Dublin Homeless Awareness, Feed Our Homeless, and the Ken Smollen Food Appeal. She’s even writing a letter to the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, to highlight the homeless situation in the country.
And all the hard work Lexie’s done hasn’t gone unnoticed. She was the youngest person nominated for 2019’s Volunteer Ireland Award, and she finished in the top 3.
[Back to phone interview]
Maggie: You mentioned that the homeless person was 16, is poverty and homelessness a big problem in Ireland?
Lexie: Yes.
Maggie: It is. Is it particularly bad among young people?
Lexie: Yeah.
[Maggie, narrator, interjects]
Maggie: According to Focus Ireland—a nonprofit organization that aims to prevent and challenge homelessness—there were over 900 people under the age of 25 living in emergency homeless accommodation at the end of October 2019, a 106% increase from October 2014. And 64% of these homeless young people were living in Dublin.
Young people 18-24 who grew up in state care are particularly vulnerable to homelessness, and Focus Ireland tries to raise awareness about the need for more support services for these individuals.
But across all age groups, more than 10,000 people throughout Ireland were homeless at some point in 2019.
[Back to the phone interview]
Maggie: Was a yard sale the first thing you did to start raising money, and why did you decide to do one?
Lexie: Well, we were looking to clear out some stuff anyway, so we just thought we’d have a yard sale. And a lot of people turned out to support me.
[Maggie, narrator, interjects]
Maggie: Lexie’s first yard sale did pretty well, bringing in 400 Euro, which would be about $447.
[Back to the phone interview]
Maggie: So how many yard sales have you had, or was that the only one?
Lexie: That was the only yard sale, and then we also go to market sometimes.
Maggie: Can you explain what that means? What does ‘go to market’ mean?
Lexie: A car boot sale.
Maggie: Got it, a car boot sale. So, I think those are unique to Europe, is that just when a lot of people are out with the boots of their cars open and they sell stuff?
Lexie: Yeah, sometimes they actually have stalls as well.
Maggie: So you’ve raised money at car boot sales as well to donate to the homeless?
Lexie: Yes.
Maggie: For the first sale, was it just you, your mom, your dad, and other members of your family who set up the yard sale, or did you have people from the community donate stuff to sell as well?
Lexie: No, it was just me, my mom, and my dad.
Maggie: And did you pick a specific charity to raise money for?
Lexie: My mom knows a few people from Inner City Helping Homeless, so I went out with all the money I raised and bought stuff and donated it to them.
Maggie: What other types of fundraising do you do besides yard sales and car boot sales?
Lexie: We do Facebook fundraisers, as well, and GoFundMe.
[Maggie, narrator, interjects]
Maggie: Since Lexie isn’t old enough to be on Facebook, her parents set up and manage the fundraiser on her behalf. I’ll include a link to the Facebook page for Lexie’s Homeless Appeal in the show notes if you’d like to make a contribution. Thus far, Lexie’s appeal has brought in around 1,000 Euro, with donations coming in from all over the world.
[Back to phone interview]
Maggie: What’s the furthest place you’ve gotten donations from?
Lexie: New York.
Maggie: Oh, that’s actually where I live.
Lexie: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Miami, Australia…
Maggie: Do you think people in your community think about homelessness more now than they did before you started doing this?
Lexie: Yes, because, actually in my school my Principal Mr. Duffy says that I’m a great ambassador for the school.
Maggie: I would say so, yeah. Do all of your friends help out now, too?
Lexie: Yeah.
Maggie: If someone were to say to you, ‘Oh, I really want to help the homeless but it just seems too hard,’ what kind of advice would you give them?
Lexie: Basically, you have to find a good charity first, because you want to make sure you’re giving to a good charity. And if you get some other people to help and just put your mind to it, then you can do it.
Maggie: Do you think you’d recommend that people should do a yard sale to fundraise?
Lexie: Yeah, well, you just have to spread the word, and then it’ll be good.
[Maggie, narrator, interjects]
Maggie: Setting up a yard sale fundraiser is probably a lot easier than you think, especially if you take Lexie’s advice and get other people to help you. Here are some tips to help you plan a successful yard sale fundraiser:
Go through all the things you’d like to get rid off, but be sure to ask friends and family if they have any items they’d like to donate, as well. Give them a deadline for when they should drop their stuff off or, better yet, get them to help out with the actual sale.
Make it clear that you’re raising money in your advertising. This will help ensure people come ready to make some sort of donation if they aren’t interested in buying anything. Consider the following advertising methods:
Social posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Creating a Facebook page with a map and directions, so people know how to find you
Submitting an ad on Craig’s list with all the necessary details
Get artsy! Hang up cardboard signs or promote your sale in chalk on the sidewalk
Don’t be afraid to price things generously. And since it’s for charity, people should be less likely to haggle with you.
Create ‘thank you’ receipts to hand people when they make a purchase. These receipts should include your contact information, as well as a website URL for the charity you’re raising money for. It’s good to give people the option to learn more about an organization.
Don’t limit your fundraiser to a yard sale. Consider selling baked goods or lemonade. In the episode, ‘A Yard Sale for a Cause,’ the congregation even had a barbecue and sold hot dogs, hamburgers, and pulled pork sandwiches.
Last but not least, put out a donation jar for folks who want to make a contribution but don’t wish to buy anything.
[Back to phone interview]
Maggie: What do you want to be when you get older? Do you think you’ll continue to find ways to help the homeless?
Lexie: I want to be an Irish dancing teacher when I grow up, and I think I will continue with my homeless stuff when I’m older.
Maggie: Are there any specific charities that you’d like to mention that people listening could possibly reach out to?
Lexie: Inner City Helping Homeless, North Dublin Bay Housing Crisis, Feed Our Homeless, and the Ken Smollen Food Appeal
[Maggie, narrator, interjects]
Maggie: In case it was too difficult to hear Lexie, the charities she mentioned were Inner City Helping Homeless, North Dublin Bay Housing Crisis, Feed Our Homeless, and the Ken Smollen Food Appeal
[Back to phone interview]
Maggie: One last question, Lexie. I know you mentioned that the first thing you should do is make sure that you’re choosing a good charity. How should people go about doing that?
Lexie: Yeah, you need to research.
[Maggie, narrator, interjects]
Maggie: Researching a charity is definitely important, especially if you want to ensure that your donation will be used effectively. Charity Navigator is a great online service for comparing how different charities and nonprofits are performing financially. They also require every organization listed on their site to be a tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity, so you don’t have to worry about potentially choosing an unaccredited charity.
Charity Navigator has some great tips for research and informed giving. First, you should ask any charities you’re considering supporting these 5 questions:
What’s your organization’s mission? This will help you decide whether a charity’s mission aligns with what you’d like your donation to be put toward.
How do you measure success?
What are your goals?
What progress is your organization making towards its goals? You want to make sure that a charity is spending their money effectively.
What sources are available to increase my confidence in your work? Look for things like published research, an annual report, and tax forms like a form 990.
While doing your research, you’ll also want to evaluate what your giving goals are. Charity Navigator’s got some tips for that, as well:
Be clear about what your philanthropic priorities are. This will come in handy when you’re reading through organizations’ mission statements.
Create a budget for how much you plan to give throughout the year, and trust the charities you’re supporting to determine the best way to spend your contribution.
Follow up with charities to see how they’re doing. If they don’t seem to be achieving their stated goals, then you might want to reconsider future donations. It’s best to support organizations that have a more concrete impact plan.
CONCLUSION
Maggie: That’s it for this week’s episode of Thrift: What Your Garage Sale Says About You. I hope learning about Lexie Dellaney’s work will inspire you to go out and run your own yard sale fundraisers. I’ll be including some links to where you can find out more about Lexie’s Homeless Appeal, as well as the charities listed in this episode, in the show notes. This information will also be included in the newsletter, which you’ll find a link to sign up for in the show notes.
There are a few other places on the internet where you can find Thrift. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook @thriftpodcast, and on Twitter @Thrift_Pod. And feel free to drop me a line at hello@thriftpodcast.com.
I’d also love it if you could take some time to rate the podcast and leave a review, as it will help more people find it. I’m on all the standard platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Welp, here’s to the new year. Thanks for listening.
OUTRO MUSIC [30 Seconds]
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