Carli Wollbaum, director for Cornerstone Family and Youth, has displayed all the items for a Seasonal Silent Auction she will be hosting as a replacement for the Festival of Trees fundraiser normally held during the Dickens Festival.
COVID may have thrown a wrench into a lot of the traditional things we have become accustomed to during some common Carlyle functions, but many organizations have found ways to continue to celebrate the season or raise funds for their programs.
In previous years, the group would do a raffle and silent auction items but this year they will have an online auction. The library has aided in donating space to display auctions items and the support of many people and businesses has made this the perfect alternative.
You can see all of the items on display at the Carlyle Public Library Branch or check them out on Facebook. Wollbaum did mention there will be many last-minute perishable items such as baking and floral arrangements.
Although Wollbaum is a nurse working at Moose Mountain Lodge, she has been loving her role with Cornerstone Family and Youth. She is constantly looking for fun, encouraging alternatives to what the COVID measures are inevitably shutting down and forcing to change. Her outlook during this pandemic has been so positive and nothing will prevent her from showing care and love and coming up with ideas to be a blessing.
With that in mind, you should know that she is offering to take Christmas cards, written by you, to the nursing home residents. Yep, that is right. Have your children or you yourself sit down and write out a small Christmas blessing or word of encouragement to a stranger who needs it. Wollbaum also encourages people to walk by the nursing home during the times the residents are in the main area for meals.
If you come by from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and/or 4:45-5:30 p.m. and bring your children, your dogs, or whatever else you can think of to wave and smile, you will be bringing joy in a simple way during this uncertain, lonely season for some.
Please join the online event on FB entitled CFY’s Seasonal Silent Auction. You and over 265 others interested will have the opportunity to bid on many amazing items. The auction will officially start on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. and close right at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6. All bids will be taken under the individual pictures on the Facebook event.