Festive Evening for Bargain Basket Volunteers

President George H.W. Bush first coined the phrase “1000 Points of Light “ during his Presidency. “I  have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led,” said the late President on many occasions.

One of those points of light would shine very brightly on Saturday, March 17th, as they sponsored an evening of recognition for the 220 or so volunteers of the Bargain Basket at 750 Bald Eagle Drive.

The Bargain Basket has been run as a ministry arm of the United Church of Marco Island since 1975 and makes regular donations to local charities and international missions.

Saturday was a way for the church to say thank you to the many volunteers who make the Bargain Basket the success it is, year after year. Attendees enjoyed appetizers, a buffet dinner and a dessert line, which failed to leave anyone hungry. Afterward, young and old alike burned off those calories on the dance floor. 

Monday through Friday, starting sharply at 10:00 AM each day until 5:00 PM, the aisles within the Bargain Basket are bustling with shoppers. Whether it be for new or gently used clothing, jewelry, housewares, linens, media items or electronics, shoppers can be seen searching those shelves. On Saturday, the store once again opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 4:00 PM.

While the front of the store stays very busy with shoppers, the back of the store sees donations being unloaded in the alleyway on a regular basis as the crews make an initial evaluation of the donations before bringing them into the rear room of the store for further evaluation and pricing before being displayed in the retail area of the store.

Volunteers can be found throughout the store, assisting customers and answering questions as they arise. Cashiers are also kept quite busy as they ring up purchases and answer any last-minute questions for those seeking final reassurance that the price on the tag or sticker is the actual cost.

The evening was an opportunity for the families who worked so hard together to enjoy and relax, as one of the busiest seasons in the last couple of years has begun to slow down. Aileen Soldano, a longtime volunteer, said it best; “Tonight couldn’t have come soon enough. It's so nice to see so many of our volunteers and their families here unwinding and having a great time,” said Soldano.