Society > Charities
The Miriam Foundation
Making Moving Easier
Thursday, May 8, 2008 11:10 PM CDT
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| A service of The Miriam Foundation, Miriam Estate Sales organizes and manages household sales for a small fee, which is donated to the nonprofit. photo by Jason Mueller |
When the time comes to downsize from the family home, maybe to a stylish new condo, many struggle with what to do with a lifetime of mementos. Even after the kids take what they want, you can feel buried in ‘stuff.’ The Miriam Foundation offers solutions for anyone approaching this process, and the best part, aside from not doing the work yourself, is that all proceeds benefit The Miriam School, a private elementary school dedicated to serving pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students with multiple learning disabilities.
Located in Webster Groves, the school has served the community for more than 50 years, and to raise funds, the Miriam Switching Post resale shop was established in 1962, providing a venue for ‘switching’ furniture and household items. “This is where we got our name,” notes Linda Estell, board member and volunteer coordinator for the past five years. “It’s a wonderful place for switching decorative items and collecting antiques. We’re like an estate sale, every day.”
Staffed by 25 helpful volunteers, the store, located at 2171 Big Bend Blvd., accepts donations of furniture, antiques, china, silver and artwork and is also the point where leftover items from the foundation’s other services are sold.
One of those services is Miriam Estate Sales, which has specialized in organizing and executing household sales. Under the supervision of a professional estate sale manager, volunteers interview the client, organize the items, price the merchandise, manage a two-day sale and make arrangements to donate whatever is left. Professional appraisers, as well as local jewelers, price the higher-end items on a volunteer basis. The nonprofit’s fee for a sale is 28 percent of the gross receipts or $2,000, whichever is greater, with the entire sum donated to the foundation. Sale dates and times are posted on its Web site, www.miriamfoundation.org.
After a sale, the home is left ‘broom clean and empty,’ with remaining items moved to the resale shop, hauled away for disposal or distributed to a more appropriate charity. Among items not sold at the resale shop are books, which are typically donated to the Greater St. Louis Book Fair. Towels, sheets and stuffed animals are often given to the Saint Louis Zoo and the Humane Society of Missouri for use with animals.
The foundation also offers ‘empty-out’ and ‘pack-up’ services when a household isn’t big enough for a profitable sale. With the ‘empty-out’ service, Miriam volunteers empty an entire household, sending appropriate items to The Switching Post and making arrangements for the remaining contents. The ‘pack-up’ service has volunteers packing up only items to be sold at the shop. Both services grew in popularity in 2007. “I don’t know of any other nonprofit that does what we do,” says Estell. “And no one else is offering this kind of pack-up service, it has really become our niche.”
Most utilizing the estate services are clients who are downsizing, but many have contracted services when redecorating, relocating to a new city, moving into assisted care or after a death in the family.
In 2007, the nonprofit raised more than $100,000, and on May 7, The Miriam School received the FOCUS St. Louis ‘What’s Right with the Region!’ award for creating quality in educational opportunities, a fitting honor for an organization that serves so many in our community.
Located in Webster Groves, the school has served the community for more than 50 years, and to raise funds, the Miriam Switching Post resale shop was established in 1962, providing a venue for ‘switching’ furniture and household items. “This is where we got our name,” notes Linda Estell, board member and volunteer coordinator for the past five years. “It’s a wonderful place for switching decorative items and collecting antiques. We’re like an estate sale, every day.”
Staffed by 25 helpful volunteers, the store, located at 2171 Big Bend Blvd., accepts donations of furniture, antiques, china, silver and artwork and is also the point where leftover items from the foundation’s other services are sold.
One of those services is Miriam Estate Sales, which has specialized in organizing and executing household sales. Under the supervision of a professional estate sale manager, volunteers interview the client, organize the items, price the merchandise, manage a two-day sale and make arrangements to donate whatever is left. Professional appraisers, as well as local jewelers, price the higher-end items on a volunteer basis. The nonprofit’s fee for a sale is 28 percent of the gross receipts or $2,000, whichever is greater, with the entire sum donated to the foundation. Sale dates and times are posted on its Web site, www.miriamfoundation.org.
After a sale, the home is left ‘broom clean and empty,’ with remaining items moved to the resale shop, hauled away for disposal or distributed to a more appropriate charity. Among items not sold at the resale shop are books, which are typically donated to the Greater St. Louis Book Fair. Towels, sheets and stuffed animals are often given to the Saint Louis Zoo and the Humane Society of Missouri for use with animals.
The foundation also offers ‘empty-out’ and ‘pack-up’ services when a household isn’t big enough for a profitable sale. With the ‘empty-out’ service, Miriam volunteers empty an entire household, sending appropriate items to The Switching Post and making arrangements for the remaining contents. The ‘pack-up’ service has volunteers packing up only items to be sold at the shop. Both services grew in popularity in 2007. “I don’t know of any other nonprofit that does what we do,” says Estell. “And no one else is offering this kind of pack-up service, it has really become our niche.”
Most utilizing the estate services are clients who are downsizing, but many have contracted services when redecorating, relocating to a new city, moving into assisted care or after a death in the family.
In 2007, the nonprofit raised more than $100,000, and on May 7, The Miriam School received the FOCUS St. Louis ‘What’s Right with the Region!’ award for creating quality in educational opportunities, a fitting honor for an organization that serves so many in our community.
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