Forest Park Community in Naples, Florida decided to host their annual garage sale on Jan. 16, while in the midst of a global pandemic.
Janina Manda, a local in the neighborhood, watched from a distance.
“I always participate in the Forest Park garage sales, but I just didn’t feel comfortable doing that this year,” Manda said. “It kind of made me unhappy that I didn’t participate.”
Although Manda felt that she wanted to join in, she took a look at how the buyers and sellers were handling the pandemic.
“Even though some people were socially distancing, it [seemed] crowded,” Manda said. “There were a lot of people.”
Many people who lived in the community believed the garage sale wouldn’t take place this year, but the president of the Forest Park clubhouse, Rick Huggins, wanted to provide an opportunity to people who have asked for the garage sale.
“Honestly, the amount of houses that participated this year wasn’t so different from other years,” Huggins said. “We lost a couple and gained a couple.”
This recent garage sale interested a couple NHS students and staff. Anya Mclaughlin, a freshman, had been particularly interested in this event.
“I would definitely [have come] to the garage sale,” Mclaughlin said. “I need to get rid of some clothes that I don’t wear anymore.”
Many people who participated in the garage sale believed it turned out great, even though some people didn’t follow COVID-19 precautions.
“This wasn’t the best garage sale Forest Park has had, but I’m just glad we made it work,” Huggins said.
