Cool Stuff
Get a head start on living out “the reason for the season” at Merry Market 2019. As you get your Christmas shopping done early, you will be helping families in need in our community! Merry Market 2019 is October 18-19 at the Gardendale Civic Center and includes a huge array of great gifts from unique vendors. Your purchases will help support Just Keep Smiling (JKS), a local ministry that assists families who have children in medical crisis.
Be sure to make your way to Nay Nay’s Creations, famous for their home-made canned soups, vegetables, pickles, salsas, jams and jellies. They also have delicious sweet treats and home crafted items such as ornaments and dish towels. Other shopper favorites include Faith Friends which showcases original creations from refurbished wood perfect for the home, Just Fine Designs’ vintage recycled clothes, hats and jewelry and Bow Genius’ beautiful and unique doll clothes, dog scarves and vests, hair accessories and wreaths.
Special events happening at the Merry Market include “Cookies with Characters” Saturday from 10 a.m.-Noon. Children will have the opportunity to converse and have pictures made with Mickey, Minnie, Cookie Monster, and more. And before you leave, don’t forget to stop by the Merry Market Cafe and Amazing Sweet Shoppe to enjoy some delicious treats!
The ministry of Just Keep Smiling was born from the experiences of three women in our
community, Patrice Brooks, Debra Cook and Sue Jeffreys. All three women know what it is like to live with tragically losing children to a life-threatening illness. Fourteen years ago, they established the non-profit JKS that seeks to assist families with critically ill children by providing financial aid for immediate needs, emotional support based on personal knowledge of a child’s serious illness or death, and spiritual insight that conveys the solace, grace and strength found in God. JKS works with a network of social workers at area hospitals to identify families with such needs during their time of medical crisis with a child or children. Learn more at www.justkeepsmiling.org †
