When Connie Karpinsky organized the first Upscale Resale fundraiser in 2018, she could not have imagined how quickly it would grow.
“We’ve done one every year except for 2020 because of COVID, so this is number seven,” she said Sept. 27, shortly after the doors to Putnam County’s Lake Oconee Lutheran Church opened at 10 a.m.
What began in a small corner of Weinberger’s Furniture store in Greensboro has since evolved into a highly anticipated annual event for Lake Country, now drawing enormous crowds that arrive nearly an hour early to enter.
“It just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Karpinsky confirmed. “The first year we made $4,000, and every year since it’s gotten bigger and bigger until we ended up here.”
The financial results reflect that steady growth. From $4,000 the first year to $6,000 the second, then $12,000, $18,000, $24,000, and most recently $30,000, Karpinsky said. And this year, organizers hope to exceed that total well, she confirmed.
Karpinsky then stressed every penny is donated directly to three area food pantries: the Greene County Food Pantry, the Putnam County Outreach Food Pantry, and the Bread of Life Food Pantry at Lake Oconee Lutheran Church.
“We like to say that supporting Upscale Resale is not just about donating, but it’s contributing to a story, too,” she said. “It’s about the journey that handbags and jewelry make in moving from one home to another, with each donation helping to turn joy into food on a table,” Karpinsky said.
Upscale Resale took place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, but the effort will continue into this fall. Karpinsky and her volunteers plan to hold a half-price sale at the Episcopal church in Greensboro next month to liquidate any remaining items.