Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk Line: Clara Harris with the Goodfellows of Lee County

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Talk Line: Clara Harris with the Goodfellows of Lee County · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

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  Speaker 1: Good morning, Sog Valley. You're back with the Waking Crew
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  Speaker 1: here on FM ninety five to one and AM fourteen
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  Speaker 1: sixty w IXN. It's just about eight sixteen on your
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  Speaker 1: Wednesday morning, and we're still under that National Weather Service
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  Speaker 1: severe thunderstorm warning, so do take any proper precautions. It
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  Speaker 1: looks like it was starting to get a little wet
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  Speaker 1: out there. Today's talk line guest, Clara Harris from Goodfellows
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  Speaker 1: of Lee County, can certainly attest to that she braved
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  Speaker 1: the weather to be here in person today. Clara, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for joining us, well.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you for inviting us, always inviting us. And you
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  Speaker 2: know what, it's just a little sprinkling out there, and
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  Speaker 2: I'm sure the farmers are loving it.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, we've definitely needed the rain and we've been
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  Speaker 1: getting it. Seems some prayers have been answered because there's
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  Speaker 1: been no shortage, so that's good. So I'm going to
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  Speaker 1: look forward to some corn on the cob and some
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  Speaker 1: other things. I'm sure it brings some good yields. But
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  Speaker 1: for anybody it's been a while since I've had you on, Clara.
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  Speaker 1: For anybody who's unfamiliar with good Fellows, why don't we
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  Speaker 1: start with just a little introduction on what you folks do.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, well, we are one hundred and fourteen years strong.
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  Speaker 2: This year, our main focus is Christmas time. We have
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  Speaker 2: families apply through an application process. It's based on family
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  Speaker 2: size and family income. If they apply and they qualify,
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  Speaker 2: they're going to come to us. They're going to get
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  Speaker 2: a food voucher. They're going to get winter coats, snowpants
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  Speaker 2: for the kiddos, hats and gloves. They're going to get
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  Speaker 2: socks and underwear. The adults will get a complete outfit.
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  Speaker 2: The kids will get two The kids get six toys,
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  Speaker 2: the adults get two gifts and Christmas section they get
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  Speaker 2: two gifts. Then we always promote those books and movies
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  Speaker 2: that we have. Putting books in the hands of children
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  Speaker 2: and adults is like putting a penny. I think ahead
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  Speaker 2: in that thing to promote community involvement and adventures and
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  Speaker 2: not so we always make sure that's out there. And
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  Speaker 2: then we have stocking stuffers and that's usually coloring books,
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  Speaker 2: crans markers. The adults will get begetting chapsticks, so who
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  Speaker 2: doesn't need chapstick in December. But during the year, if
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  Speaker 2: another crisis arises, we are usually contacted by We could
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  Speaker 2: be an officer, it could be a school teacher, a
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  Speaker 2: counselor a pastor. People that know there's a need, they'll
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  Speaker 2: reach out to us. And we work with other agencies,
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  Speaker 2: so if we can't fill the need that's being requested,
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  Speaker 2: we refer them to another agency that can help them out.
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  Speaker 2: We're all trying to work together, Brandon. I love that
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  Speaker 2: because something that I don't offer, somebody else might and
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  Speaker 2: we want to make sure that the community of Lee
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  Speaker 2: Counties are getting that info.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean you guys have just been put in
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  Speaker 1: the work for one hundred and fourteen years this year, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: to make sure these needs are better, to help put
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  Speaker 1: people in contact with folks who can help them, and
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  Speaker 1: it's it's just a big circle of support. Yes, And
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  Speaker 1: I love what you guys do in your part in it. Which,
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  Speaker 1: speaking of which comes to some news that you wanted
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  Speaker 1: to bring with us today concerning raffles and good fellows.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, we always yearly have a raffle. That is what
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  Speaker 2: helps us keep the doors open. We pay all of
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  Speaker 2: the utilities, anything else that comes up, so we sell
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  Speaker 2: six hundred only raffle tickets. They're always twenty dollars a piece.
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  Speaker 2: The prizes are phenomenal, five hundred dollars cash for first price.
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  Speaker 2: Second price is three hundred dollars out at County Market
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  Speaker 2: for food. Third prize is going to be two hundred
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  Speaker 2: dollars of gas coupons at a Shell Kelly Market gas stations,
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  Speaker 2: and fourth is two hundred cash. So, as I said earlier,
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  Speaker 2: we try to hit the three biggest needs people are
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  Speaker 2: having now, and that's food and gas and money. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: who can't use any of those. So and again we'll
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  Speaker 2: draw those tickets, the four winning tickets web patrons that
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  Speaker 2: attend our cookout out at County Market on August the eighth,
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  Speaker 2: between eleven and two at two o'clock, we'll pull the
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  Speaker 2: four winning tickets. We always do it when we do
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  Speaker 2: our cookouts. That way, there'll be people out there and
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  Speaker 2: we'll have them pull the winning tickets. If you win,
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  Speaker 2: you are going to get a call from me saying
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  Speaker 2: you're the lucky winner and this is the prize that
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  Speaker 2: you've won, and we'll make arrangements for you to either
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  Speaker 2: pick it up and if it's a check and you live.
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  Speaker 2: Last year, we had a gentleman from Indiana, win, so
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  Speaker 2: we had to mail his check to him. So it
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  Speaker 2: all works out in the end and the support that's given.
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  Speaker 2: I always remind people when they're giving that twenty dollars
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  Speaker 2: to buy the ticket because not everybody's going to win,
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  Speaker 2: but you have a chance, four chances. Twenty dollars in
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  Speaker 2: our hands because we're a non for profit and we
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  Speaker 2: can buy things for no tax, and the gifting that
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  Speaker 2: people give us, it would buy two winter coats right
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  Speaker 2: now with today's economy. Two winter coats. It might buy
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  Speaker 2: three pairs of snow pants, or in our hands it
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  Speaker 2: could probably buy about ten to fifteen pairs of socks
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  Speaker 2: packages of socks, sorry not pairs, fifteen packages, and we
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  Speaker 2: could probably get fifteen to twenty packages of underwear, all
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  Speaker 2: needed items that our clients need. So that's just food
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  Speaker 2: for thought for everything.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a great picture to really explain to somebody
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  Speaker 1: and give them an idea of like how you're helping right,
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  Speaker 1: Like it's always this ambiguous idea when people I think
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  Speaker 1: first generate in their heads of like donating to something
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  Speaker 1: or helping out, and one it's a good cause you should,
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  Speaker 1: don't get me wrong, but this is a really perfect example,
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  Speaker 1: to think like, hey, this isn't just twenty bucks for
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  Speaker 1: a raffle ticket. Like somebody who's cold is going to
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  Speaker 1: get a coat, They're going to get snow pants, or
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  Speaker 1: they'll have socks on their feet. That's a fantastic way
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  Speaker 1: to put it, Claire. I love that well.
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  Speaker 2: And some of the money would be used for the
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  Speaker 2: food vouchers.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, it just used for so many good things,
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  Speaker 1: Like you said, these things that people all need and
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  Speaker 1: before you know me, you know I can get on
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  Speaker 1: a rent. Where can folks get these raffle tickets?
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  Speaker 2: Okay, it's going to very week by week. Now on Friday,
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  Speaker 2: This Friday, we will be out at County Market in Dixon,
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  Speaker 2: probably eleven to one, and then we will be an
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  Speaker 2: amboy at Case's from eight o'clock in the morning to
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  Speaker 2: one o'clock. We try not to be there overkill, but
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  Speaker 2: people if they know those are the locations and they're
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  Speaker 2: going shopping or they have to get that guess, or
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  Speaker 2: they're going to run out to Woody or a campground
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  Speaker 2: in the area, they all stop in there. I love
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  Speaker 2: the stories I hear from children because I'll always tease
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  Speaker 2: them and say, okay, you're here, probably from the campground,
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  Speaker 2: and they go ahead and confirm that's where they're from
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  Speaker 2: because you can tell they're sleeping. But man, they're hungry.
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  Speaker 2: So I'll say, are we here for a donut run
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  Speaker 2: or a pizza? Dad says, don't it and then he
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  Speaker 2: looks up at the father and goes, but maybe pizza.
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  Speaker 2: So it's kind of like putting that little bug in
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  Speaker 2: for dad to know he might want more than a donut.
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  Speaker 2: So and we love that all of these locations support
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  Speaker 2: us by allowing us to come. We won't be at
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  Speaker 2: other locations until the next week, and it'll probably always
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  Speaker 2: be at County Market on a Friday, and it will
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  Speaker 2: be at Casey's inn Amboy. In July, we will have
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  Speaker 2: a location at ACE and hopefully we get a city
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  Speaker 2: market night that place. That activity is going strong. We
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  Speaker 2: put a request in and we had to put first, second,
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  Speaker 2: and third. We might get the third request for a date.
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  Speaker 2: And if you do attend that and we get one
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  Speaker 2: in July, just know that we will have Our game
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  Speaker 2: is going to be a spinner. It'll have a one
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  Speaker 2: in a two on it or colors. Maybe we haven't
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  Speaker 2: designed it yet, and when they spin it, they either
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  Speaker 2: get one of the items we have or they get two.
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  Speaker 2: So the kid also have choices of posters that have
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  Speaker 2: been gifted to us free. We have puzzle books and
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  Speaker 2: reading books that are all brand new that the parents
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  Speaker 2: can choose. We have some things that teenagers probably would
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  Speaker 2: like better. Bargains has gifted us some games that they
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  Speaker 2: want to go out. So everything is donated to us free,
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  Speaker 2: and we're going to make sure the public gets it
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  Speaker 2: because we can't store it forever and it needs to
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  Speaker 2: be the hands of Like I said before about books,
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  Speaker 2: it needs to be in the hands of people that
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  Speaker 2: can utilize it. So we're looking forward to that and hopefully, Jennifer,
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  Speaker 2: if you're listening, that we get at least our night
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  Speaker 2: there in July that we request it, because June I
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  Speaker 2: think is pretty packed already.
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  Speaker 1: I would imagine City Market has gone bananas. I mean
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  Speaker 1: anytime we've we've stepped out from around the block to
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  Speaker 1: see and we've just been so busy in the evening.
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  Speaker 1: But I intend to get down there, but it's it's
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  Speaker 1: just hoppin' people love it, So I'm going to cross
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  Speaker 1: my fingers that that that you guys get a spot there.
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  Speaker 1: I could agree. We're halfway through June, it probably is
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  Speaker 1: pretty packed, but July I've got both fingers crossed. Well,
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  Speaker 1: thank you for you guys. You know, big part of
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  Speaker 1: what you guys do is, you know, taking in donations
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  Speaker 1: to help support the mission. How can folks donate? When
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  Speaker 1: and what can they donate?
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  Speaker 2: Okay, So the sign in front of our building has
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  Speaker 2: my phone number for the agency on it. It's eight
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  Speaker 2: one five nine seven three five one three five. You
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  Speaker 2: can call that. We usually work have our volunteers come
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  Speaker 2: and help us on Tuesdays Wednesdays, and that's from nine
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  Speaker 2: until eleven thirty. We don't want to burn them out
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  Speaker 2: because we want them to continue to help every week.
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  Speaker 2: So they can call that number and we will take
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  Speaker 2: donations in. I try if they tell me what they
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  Speaker 2: have and I know for sure we're going to use it,
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  Speaker 2: I'll tell them that. But a lot of people from
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  Speaker 2: garage sales have been calling. Can I just bring it
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  Speaker 2: to you? Yes, call me bring it. We will make
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  Speaker 2: sure if we're going to utilize it, it gets put out.
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  Speaker 2: If we can't utilize it. There's so many agencies that
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  Speaker 2: I can refer the stuff too, and we do do
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  Speaker 2: that I'll make sure I contact like the recovery houses
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  Speaker 2: and paths for sure, they're my first ones to call.
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  Speaker 2: And then if one of the other ones is contacted
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  Speaker 2: and said recently, United Way contacted me and said, I
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  Speaker 2: have a young woman who needs clothing. Can I have
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  Speaker 2: her call you? Yes, have her call me, because if
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  Speaker 2: those donations come in and I know her size, she's
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  Speaker 2: going to get some clothing. If we can't meet that need,
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  Speaker 2: like I stated earlier, we will refer them to a
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  Speaker 2: place they can get it. But all of the gifting
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  Speaker 2: that's coming into us, it's going to go to various
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  Speaker 2: places if we can't utilize it. My workers are really
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  Speaker 2: good about separating everything. Just know that the place called
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  Speaker 2: the Caring Place in Sterling, they don't charge I guess
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  Speaker 2: now they're taking a slight donation if you have it.
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  Speaker 2: They don't require it. But you can get twenty five
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  Speaker 2: items there a month and all you got to do
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  Speaker 2: is give them your driver's license the first time you go,
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  Speaker 2: so that they know you only come once a month.
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  Speaker 2: And then we do give stuff. I do one week,
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  Speaker 2: then the next week it's light accenter. If we have stuff,
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  Speaker 2: people say, well I don't want it. To go someplace
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  Speaker 2: where they charge. Well, keep in mind, people, this light Accenter,
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  Speaker 2: Oh can't even even begin to say enough about that.
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  Speaker 2: They gift thirty someun non for profits. If they're contacted
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  Speaker 2: by them and the need is presented to them in
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  Speaker 2: a form where they can take it to their board,
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  Speaker 2: they will gift those agencies what they need. So if
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  Speaker 2: they're charging for it, they have to because they have
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  Speaker 2: to keep the lights on and everything taken care of,
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  Speaker 2: and then they have to have the abilities. So like
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  Speaker 2: our biggest need, our example would be at Christmas time,
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  Speaker 2: if I've got nine thousand dollars of I know has
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  Speaker 2: to go out in food vouchers and I've only got seven,
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  Speaker 2: I can put a request into them, go in front
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  Speaker 2: of their board and tell why I give them numbers
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  Speaker 2: and then they more. And I've never been told no.
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  Speaker 2: Might come to that someday, but they always make sure
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  Speaker 2: our money is there for us to meet the needs
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  Speaker 2: of those people. So again, a plug for United Way,
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  Speaker 2: a plug for Better Bargains, plug for light Accenter in
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  Speaker 2: the caring place, and just know that our hearts are
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  Speaker 2: in the right place. Everybody that comes to us and
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  Speaker 2: volunteers to do the work when those donations come in,
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  Speaker 2: and anybody associated with us, they believe in helping people
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  Speaker 2: with a heart, so just know we'll do what we can.
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  Speaker 1: Well, I know that I know you, Clara, and you're
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  Speaker 1: a wonderful person in them, So glad you're a part
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  Speaker 1: of this and all the fine work that you and
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  Speaker 1: everyone over there is doing. If anyone wants any more
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  Speaker 1: information about any of this or just good fellows in general,
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  Speaker 1: what's the best.
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  Speaker 2: Way to do it, well, they can contact us. Buy
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  Speaker 2: the phone number that I stated earlier eight one five
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  Speaker 2: nine seven three five one three five. We do have
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  Speaker 2: a Facebook page and Jennifer Lang, God bless her, she
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  Speaker 2: is our Facebook lady. If we have stuff coming up
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  Speaker 2: or where we're going to sell tickets this weekend, she
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  Speaker 2: will put it on Facebook. And she's had questions arise
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  Speaker 2: on that. We're still working on our website to get
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  Speaker 2: that changed over from what we had before. So right now,
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  Speaker 2: Facebook or the phone number. I've had people even they
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  Speaker 2: see our cars there, they'll just stop. Can I bring
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  Speaker 2: my donations? And that's always welcome too, So just know
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  Speaker 2: we are there.
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  Speaker 1: That's right, they're there. Give them a call. They're ready
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  Speaker 1: to help. Claire Thank you so much for sharing all
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  Speaker 1: this information and for all the fine work that you
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  Speaker 1: and everyone over there does. We really appreciate it.
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  Speaker 2: We thank you, thank you, thank you, We thank the public.
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  Speaker 2: Without your support, we would not be one hundred and
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  Speaker 2: fourteen years strong. So thank you from the bottom of
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  Speaker 2: our hearts.
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  Speaker 1: Keep the love going, keep the support going. Contact You're
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  Speaker 1: good fellows of Lee, County Claire. Thank you.