By Barbara Arnstein
It’s time once again for the exciting gift card calendar fundraiser for the food pantry at Springville’s Trading Post. Now (the rest of February) is the time to join in the fun of the annual event by buying one or more of the ten-dollar calendars. Throughout the month of March, those who do will have thirty-one chances of winning gift cards generously donated by popular local restaurants or businesses, plus eBay, Visa and Amazon cards. Also, they’ll be helping a very worthy cause: the Trading Post provides many needed items to people in local communities including Erie County, Cattaraugus and Wyoming counties, and in rural areas with few resources. It truly lives up to its motto, “Meeting everyday needs, with extraordinary love.”
The calendars are available this month online at revivewesleyan.com, and in the lobbies of Revive Wesleyan’s Springville, Bayview and McKinley campuses. The dramatic daily drawings for the cards can be seen in March on Facebook at “Trading Post Community Care Center”.
There are two cards available for Macy’s, two for Wegman’s two for Applebee’s, two for Tim Horton’s, two for Red Robin, two for Olive Garden, two for Tops’ supermarket, and one apiece for Tim and Bonne’s Pizza, Walmart, TJ Maxx, eBay, Visa, Amazon, Kohl’s, Cabela’s, Lowe’s, Old Navy, Target, Chipotle, Starbucks, Chick-fil-a, Subway, and Longhorn.
The Trading Post in Springville includes a thrift store as well as a food pantry, which offers clothing, jewelry, handbags, hats, household items and more. “Sales at the store help pay for the Post’s utilities”, said Peggy Austin, the Trading Post’s Director, who has been doing amazing work there since 2018. “It’s only with the support of calendar buyers and other donors that we can continue to assist our communities”, she continued. “We use all donation dollars wisely.” The Trading Post responds to tens of thousands of requests for food, clothing and infant needs every year, with the help of hard-working volunteers, who devote around 10,000 hours annually to helping out. The Feeding America Food pantry provides a Take-Out Lunch every Friday, between 10am-noon, and a Mobile Food Truck.
The thirty-one gift cards to be won in March, from the beginning to the end of the month, are (in order), $25 gift cards for: Macy’s, Wegmans, TJ Maxx, Longhorn, and Chipotle. The gift card on the 6th (and the 17th) is for $20, for Tops supermarket. From March 7th to the 16th, there are $25 gift cards for: Amazon, Applebee’s, Tim Hortons, Subway, Tim & Bonnie’s Pizza, Visa, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Red Robin, and eBay. From the 18th to the 30th, $25 gift cards for: Wegman’s, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Cabela’s, Olive Garden, Target, Tim Horton’s, Applebee’s, Lowe’s, Chick-fil-a, Red Robin, Starbucks, and Walmart. On the 31st, the gift card is for Macy’s, for $50!
The Trading Post is located at 38 Franklin Street in Springville, NY. The Thrift Store is open Tuesdays from noon-4pm, and Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-2pm. Can you donate money, time or good-quality clothing? For more information, go to: https://revivewesleyan.com/tradingpost/, email paustin @revivewesleyan.com or call (716) 592-4455.