Group gives money to PSNI, Head Start

Panhandle Special Needs and Sandpoint Head Start are the recipients of unexpected Christmas gifts from the Community Assistance League.

CAL gave PSNI $15,000 and Head Start $5,000.

"It is a privilege to share our good fortune with two such deserving organizations," said CAL member Barbara Buchanan.

CAL's gift shop, Bizarre Bazaar, has been a blessing for the organization, she said.

Instead of holding one or two fundraisers a year, CAL does its fundraising quite differently: Six days per week, 52 weeks per year.

The organization's 150-plus members volunteer about 12,000 hours annually at CAL's upscale resale shop to raise funds to give back to the community.

The shop has no paid employees. This group of dedicated women manage, staff, warehouse, clean, mend, price, advertise, market and provide necessary accounting services for the shop.

CAL also gave out 32 grants and 13 scholarships in 2007.

Sandpoint Senior Center's Meals on Wheels program, Bonner Partner's in Care health clinic, Kinderhaven and Kaleidoscope, a volunteer-art program used in the county's public schools, are supported by CAL on a monthly basis.

Love, Inc., Sanctuary Seconds, two Priest River thrift shops, Panhandle Animal Shelter and various church rummage sales also receive merchandise from CAL on a regular basis.

The success of Bizarre Bazaar depends on two critical factors: Donations and customers.

"We thank Bonner County and outlying communities for their overwhelming support," Buchanan said.