By STEPHEN DAWKINS

Staff Writer 

NORTH SHELBY – Asbury United Methodist Church’s Giggles & Grace Consignment Sale offers residents the chance to purchase items at great prices while supporting local ministries.

The sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 at the church, which is located at 6690 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham.

Select items are marked half price on Saturday.

Giggles & Grace started in 2007 with less than 10 ladies on the original committee and about 100 consignors.

Now, the twice-annual sale has 23 committee members and 375 consignors—with a waiting list of about 50 more.

“The idea behind starting the sale was that there were many successful sales around Birmingham, but there was not one in this area of town,” organizer Anna Garner said. “At the time, the children’s ministry and CASA (Asbury’s Mother’s Day Out program) had a tight budget. Giggles & Grace was started with the idea of making extra money for these ministries and also helping families in need throughout our community.”

Over the years, the sale has allowed for several purchases for the church’s Children’s Ministry and CASA including a security camera system in the Children’s Wing and Nursery Wing, painting, flatscreen televisions in all children’s Sunday School rooms, a computerized check-in system, nursery furniture, murals in the Children’s Wing and Nursery Wing, carpet, laptops for CASA office and Children’s Ministry office, white boards in all children’s Sunday School rooms, Acolyte/Bible Bearer/Crucifier robes, summer camp scholarships, circle rugs for assembly room, portable Bible Buck store, redesign of the children’s information desk and redesign of the children’s assembly room stage.

Consignors receive 75 percent of the selling price, with the Asbury children’s ministry and missions receiving the remaining 25 percent.

“We have consignors from all over, including one lady who comes from West Virginia,” Garner said. “It’s not just local people. It’s something that people look forward to twice a year.”

In addition to the September sale, another sale is held each February. Both are free and open to the public.

Items that can be found at the sale include clothing in sizes newborn to juniors, shoes, high chairs, swings, car seats, strollers, toys and diaper bags.

“This time of year, people do a lot of Christmas shopping,” Garner said.

Giggles & Grace is also a way for the church to help local families in need.

About $7,000 for vouchers has been budgeted. Those interested can apply online for vouchers, which can be used for items at the sale.

Garner said about 66 families received a helping hand during the February sale.

Volunteers are always needed to help with the sale. Perks for volunteers include food donated by local restaurants and the chance to shop early.

Depending on how much time someone is willing to work, volunteers can shop starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, before the crowd. The more volunteer time, the earlier a person can start shopping.

“I think that’s something different from other sales,” Garner said. “We try to show our volunteers a lot of hospitality for their work.”

Volunteers do not have to be consignors.

The church’s youth group normally volunteers to make money for its mission trip.

Anyone interested in volunteering should visit AsburyOnline.org/gigglesandgrace/ or email volunteers@asburygigglesandgrace.com.

Also, the February consignment sale included a canned food drive that brought in more than 500 canned goods for the church’s food pantry.

The drive will be held again for this drive.

For every canned food item donated, a shopper is entered to win a “fast pass” that will allow someone to skip to the front of the checkout line, which Garner said can grow quite long.

After the sale ends, many of the remaining items are donated to missions including Hannah Home, King’s Home, Jimmie Hale Mission, Jessie’s Place, Oak Mountain Missions and the Lovelady Center.