Meadowlark is alive. That was obvious from the moment we walked in the door.
Outdoor Encounters
February 6, 2025
Local not-for-profit focused on supporting people in living their best lives
“Great sale. Good customer service.”
“Everyone was sweet and helpful.”
“The ladies there are very pleasant and helpful. Thanks!”
“Friendly people!”
It’s the holiday season – a time for good tidings and grateful hearts. At Meadowlark Market, the merry and magic associated with Christmas appear to be experienced year-round. The comments above were sent to the Market team by customers during the past several months, and at least one frequent shopper and one Market volunteer echo these sentiments.
“The Market is friendly and fun,” said Becky Wagner, whose curiosity about the house-now-charity shop at 120 N. Scenic Drive prompted her first visit in 2022. She and her husband, Rob, purchased a Thomasville bedroom set and have returned nearly every month since, lured by the quality, variety, and staging of the items. “People are shopping, visiting, and having a nice time. It seems to be a little bit of a social thing.”
Marty Lips, a Passport member and a volunteer at Coffee Corner and the Market, gushed about the time she spends preparing for sales and helping customers during her Friday afternoon shifts. “I love working there, and my family is happy that I get to help there. The gals I work with make you feel welcome, and we all have a positive attitude. Magic happens, and that’s what’s so fun about it.”
Friendly volunteers, satisfied customers, and good-to-great quality merchandise have once again proven to be a trifecta of success for what Wagner called “a Cadillac of second-hand stores.”
As 2024 comes to a close, revenue generated by the sale of donated home furnishings, collectibles, jewelry, and art is nearly $97,000, about $7000 higher than 2023’s total. Two-day sales occurred February through November, and a few items were sold in January and December. The Market’s high-dollar month was February with about $12,500 in sales. Proceeds benefit Meadowlark Foundation’s Good Samaritan Fund, a need that resonates with donors and customers.
“I’d rather support that cause than just about anything else,” said Wagner, whose parents, Gene & Sue Klingler, recently moved to an IL apartment. “The money will be well-used and helpful.”
Christine Thompson of Manhattan found the Market through posts on Facebook Marketplace. She’s an example of a shopper who became a donor. She said she’s contributed to many different organizations over the years and has been downsizing for several years, so she thought of Meadowlark Foundation when she decided to part with some furniture and décor items.
“I understand that the Market helps to support seniors with economic needs, and I support that philosophy.”
Expenses, such as storage rental fees and labor to transport donations, impact the Market’s profit, but fortunately, the work needed to collect, clean, repair, display, and sell the merchandise was accomplished in 2024 with the assistance of 26 volunteers. These cheerful givers contributed about 2000 hours of behind-the-scenes and/or sale-day efforts.
Jana Armfield, Meadowlark’s engagement specialist, oversees our community’s volunteer program and tracks volunteer hours. She reports that at least 1,790 service hours were donated. “According to information found at independentsector.org, the national value of a volunteer is $33.49 per hour,” Armfield said. “That means Meadowlark volunteers have contributed $59,947.10 worth of their time to the Market."
Lips feels fortunate to be a Passport member and views volunteering as a way to pay her blessings forward. A longtime “fixer-upper,” she enjoys her newfound role as a furniture sales associate and supporting a worthy cause with her time, and sometimes, treasure.
“The Market is such a good, good way to help our community,” she said.
For the first time in Meadowlark Market history, a two-day sale is set to occur in January. Mark your calendar for Jan. 24 and 25, 2025. In the final days of December and the first days of the new year, staff and volunteers will pack and store unsold holiday items, sort and organize donations in storage, and prepare new inventory for display.
The Market team appreciates the tremendous interest in and support of this fundraising effort, and asks their Meadowlark friends to please help spread the word about our shopping and saving opportunities. Market proceeds benefit the Good Samaritan Fund, which assists residents living in Meadowlark’s healthcare households who have outlived their financial resources.
If you would like to become a Market volunteer, please contact Jana Armfield at (785) 323-3890. If you have a possible donation item, large or small, please contact Becky Fitzgerald at (785) 323-3843.
Meadowlark is alive. That was obvious from the moment we walked in the door.
2121 Meadowlark Road
Manhattan, KS 66502
Directions & Map
Call: 785.537.4610
Email: info@meadowlark.org
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