2008 Woodie Awards
U-Sale turns trash to treasure for charity
Alex Moorman
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: News
The second annual U-Sale, a campus-wide yard sale to raise funds to fight world hunger, will take place April 2 and 3 in front of the Keathley University Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"We're trying to make a difference, a kind of 'one person's trash is another persons treasure,'" said Jessie Ensminger, senior social work major and founder of U-Sale.
The idea for U-Sale came from a class requiring Ensminger to draw up a plan to make a difference. Ensminger said that she decided to take the assignment much further than the other students, and she and three other girls decided this was just the thing for MTSU.
"We've gotten some crazy stuff but people really do buy it. We couldn't believe some of the things people wanted," said Ensminger, who collects everything from clothing to figurines of Star Wars characters. They then sell the items in a campus-wide yard sale and all of the proceeds go straight to charity.
The girls plan to pick a different charity each year, this year selecting Heifer International, which aims to help end world hunger by giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief.
"Anything will be exciting but we'd love to double what we made last year or well, I guess at least make what we made last year," said Ensminger. Last year the U-Sale brought in around $1,700.
Working along with Ensminger are three other MTSU students: Sarah Branscom, junior organizational communications major, Megan Dipillo, senior liberal arts major, and Megan Imboden, senior biology major.
The girls had several drop-off days last week in the student parking lot across from Greek Row.
"If [people] still have something they want to give us we'd be happy to come pick it up or they could just bring it to the U-Sale on Wednesday or Thursday," said Ensminger.
Companies all over Murfreesboro who helped out with the U-Sale last year were eager to participate again this year. Storage House of Murfreesboro donated a storage unit free of charge for all of the goods collected.
Dry-cleaners all over town donated hangers for clothes; U-Haul rented out a truck to the girls for half price and The Daily News Journal included the event in their community calendar.
"Last year we had a lot of people turn out and it went really well but this year we're going to have live music, some local bands and artists and we hope to draw people's attentions from that angle as well," said Ensminger.
"We plan to give what is left over to Goodwill or The Salvation Army; we're hoping most of it will sell, but if not that is also a good way to help out people," said Ensminger.
Ensminger, who graduates in December, hopes others will step forward to carry the U-Sale torch next year.
"We're trying to make a difference, a kind of 'one person's trash is another persons treasure,'" said Jessie Ensminger, senior social work major and founder of U-Sale.
The idea for U-Sale came from a class requiring Ensminger to draw up a plan to make a difference. Ensminger said that she decided to take the assignment much further than the other students, and she and three other girls decided this was just the thing for MTSU.
"We've gotten some crazy stuff but people really do buy it. We couldn't believe some of the things people wanted," said Ensminger, who collects everything from clothing to figurines of Star Wars characters. They then sell the items in a campus-wide yard sale and all of the proceeds go straight to charity.
The girls plan to pick a different charity each year, this year selecting Heifer International, which aims to help end world hunger by giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief.
"Anything will be exciting but we'd love to double what we made last year or well, I guess at least make what we made last year," said Ensminger. Last year the U-Sale brought in around $1,700.
Working along with Ensminger are three other MTSU students: Sarah Branscom, junior organizational communications major, Megan Dipillo, senior liberal arts major, and Megan Imboden, senior biology major.
The girls had several drop-off days last week in the student parking lot across from Greek Row.
"If [people] still have something they want to give us we'd be happy to come pick it up or they could just bring it to the U-Sale on Wednesday or Thursday," said Ensminger.
Companies all over Murfreesboro who helped out with the U-Sale last year were eager to participate again this year. Storage House of Murfreesboro donated a storage unit free of charge for all of the goods collected.
Dry-cleaners all over town donated hangers for clothes; U-Haul rented out a truck to the girls for half price and The Daily News Journal included the event in their community calendar.
"Last year we had a lot of people turn out and it went really well but this year we're going to have live music, some local bands and artists and we hope to draw people's attentions from that angle as well," said Ensminger.
"We plan to give what is left over to Goodwill or The Salvation Army; we're hoping most of it will sell, but if not that is also a good way to help out people," said Ensminger.
Ensminger, who graduates in December, hopes others will step forward to carry the U-Sale torch next year.
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