North Adams Craft Store Seeks Charity Stocking Sponsors
 Ashley Priester is looking for sponsors to help her fill 100 stockings with items from her store to donate to the Berkshire Dream Center, Elizabeth Freeman Center and the Santa Fund. |
At her craft shop AP Home Decor and More, Priester is searching for sponsors to fill up stockings with items from the store that will be donated to Berkshire Dream Center, Santa Fund and Elizabeth Freeman Center for the holiday season. Each stocking needs a $20 donation.
"It's cool, you know? It's something different and fun," Priester said Saturday afternoon.
Just a week in, she's collected 14 sponsors but still has quite a way to hitting her goal of having a 100 stockings under her tree by mid-December.
"I've got a lot of work cut out," said Priester, who will make and donate the stockings herself.
The stockings can be made for any age group. The Berkshire Dream Center distributes to all ages, the Elizabeth Freeman Center donates to girls and women (also boys that are part of a woman's family) and the Santa Fund caters to children.
"Not just children need extra during the holiday, adults need it to," she said.
In addition to sponsoring stockings, paper ornaments to decorate will be on sale for a dollar, which anyone can write his or her name on. All those proceeds will go to the stockings as well.
Priester hopes the community and local businesses can contribute to the giving season and help to wash away the negativity around the city through giving.
"This shows how caring people are," she said.
Priester has been raising money for years during the holiday season and taps into her creativity for ideas; she's behind some of the fundraising items for Eva and Emma's Lemonade Stand. In addition to this fundraiser, she has "a lot of random acts of kindness up her sleeves."
That refers to one of her next plans — to offer random acts of kindness ideas at the store. For example, the other day she put in a note and $2 into a movie envelope she returned to a Redbox for the next renter.
Priester's goal with AP Home Decor and More is to make it more than just a craft store but a charity machine to give back to the community.
There are a variety of ways to sponsor a stocking. Either stop into the store at 10 Ashland St. during business hours (Monday and Wednesday, 11-5:30; Thursday through Sunday, 11-7), email or Paypal shopyourheartout@gmail.com with a note or call 413-212-7687 to pay by card.
Tags: charity, donations, holiday story,
