Janet was quite the looker.
Recent visitors to Guadalupe Resale Shop couldn’t help but notice a beautiful woman standing by the front door. The prized sculpture by renowned “hyper realist” artist Marc Sijan, part of his Standing Barefoot collection, was as lifelike as they come, right down to flesh tones, freckles, eyelashes and skin imperfections.
Art aficionados immediately took note of Janet, the name given by her donors. Research shows Sijan’s work often fetches five-figure sums when sold through art dealers.
Janet was a high-quality donation, and high-quality donations help fund a high-quality education for the students of Immokalee. Revenue at Guadalupe Resale Shop infuses financial support into Guadalupe Center in Immokalee, which offers a nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program, After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program and college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program.
Janet sold in late August to Aldo Castillo, an international art curator who recently opened a gallery on Fifth Avenue South in Naples. Proceeds from that sale can provide an entire preschool class with creative arts and music resources for the year. Or it can sponsor a child and his or her parents for the Smart Start Program, which shows parents how to facilitate in-home learning and ensure that children are reaching age-appropriate developmental milestones. Or it can allow Guadalupe Center to purchase an in-class educational system like LEGO kits for STEM lessons.
Guadalupe Resale Shop has been blessed with an amazingly generous base of regular donors who have given entire living room and bedroom sets, oak cabinets, stylish apparel, one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork and home décor. High-quality items don’t sit on the showroom floor very long. Each sale represents another opportunity to support children whose lives are being transformed through Guadalupe Center, which has a mission of breaking the cycle of poverty through education for the children of Immokalee.
Many well-meaning donors have asked what constitutes a “high-quality donation.” Customers are advised to ask themselves, “Is this something I would give to a friend?” If the answer is yes, then typically that item will have a good value in the resale market. If the answer is no, however, then it’s not likely someone would purchase it, either.
To advise customers on how to truly make an impact on a child’s life, Guadalupe Resale Shop offers the following guidelines for donors:
- Will accept: Like-new furniture, home décor, kitchenware, artwork, lamps, linens, DVDs and CDs, books and all types of ladies and men’s clothing, including accessories such as jewelry, purses and nearly new shoes.
- Will not accept: Electronics, used household appliances, mattresses, children’s clothing and toys, baby equipment, gardening tools, light fixtures, ceiling fans, armoires, entertainment centers and exercise equipment.
Guadalupe Resale Shop is located at 12980 Tamiami Trail N., Unit 10 in Naples. The showroom is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; donations are accepted 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information, please visit GuadalupeCenter.org or call 239-594-2696.
