Haitian relief efforts are alive and strong thanks to the ongoing actions of Ventura College clubs.
Ventura College’s Anthropology and Psychology Clubs will join hands and host a rummage sale to benefit Haitian relief on Saturday, April 10. The event will take place at the Foundation Marketplace from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to Anthropology Club president Esteban Minero.
Minero, a 19-year-old political science major, acknowledges that Haiti is slowly fading away from the minds of many people.
“The thing that people must realize is this: life goes on far after and beyond the headline,” he said. “The earthquake occurred over a month ago, but the destruction, the consequences, all the devastation is still there.”
Proceeds of the event will go to UNICEF, according to Minero. UNICEF, an acronym for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, is a non-profit global organization that provides ongoing assistance to children and mothers in developing and devastated countries. UNICEF is among the many organizations giving abundant aid to those in Haiti.
The rummage sale will be open to the general public and offer a variety of used goods.
“As far as what we will sell, we are planning on getting donations from students,” said Minero, “typical yard sale stuff.”
The Foundation Marketplace, located on the east parking lot of the Ventura campus, on the corner of Day and Telegraph Roads, will be donating the space for the rummage sale. The Foundation Marketplace typically charges vendors $32-$55 for space rental, according to Esmeralda Juarez, Marketplace Supervisor.
“We are giving the space for this sale for free,” said Juarez. “What these kids are doing is nice and it’s important to help one another out when it’s for a good cause.”
Students who participate in the rummage sale will obtain a sense of fulfillment, said Minero.
“There’s always the sense of knowing you’re helping, that you are being a part of something bigger than yourself,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
For more information on the Haitian relief rummage sale or to donate items, contact advisors Maria Teresa Fiumerodo and Cari Lange at (805) 654-6400 ext. 1274.
