When Jenn Cross started planning Mom-2-Mom sales for her church in 2005, the economy was booming, the housing market was expanding and jobs were easier to find.
"We started out small," said Cross. "We hosted 40 tables and about 300 shoppers in our first year."
After the economy collapsed in 2008, the Mom-2-Mom sales at Zion Christian Church started to grow at a rapid rate. "Every year we host a sale in March and another in November. The day after our November 2008 sale, I was already getting e-mails about the March 2009 sale," said Cross.
Parents who had been laid off or had hours reduced were trying desperately to keep their houses, families and kids afloat by selling gently used clothing, toys, books and games. Zion's Mom-2-Mom sale quickly grew to 70 tables and welcomed more than 850 shoppers to each sale from 2009 to 2011.
Cross noticed that families that had never thought to visit Mom-2-Mom sales were coming in droves to try to save money on clothes, shoes and books. "Most had always bought these items brand new from stores," said Cross. "After visiting as a shopper, many come back to the next sale as a seller with a table of their own. We had an extensive waiting list for table rentals."
This year, Zion Christian Church's Mom-2-Mom sale will move to the main church building. "We've outgrown the gym," said Cross. "We have so many sellers and shoppers that we've decided to move the sale into the main church building to help meet the needs of all these families."
The new location will allow a 30% increase in seller tables. Jenn Cross and her team have sold more than 100 tables to local families for the upcoming sale on Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sale is open from 8:30-9 a.m. for Early Bird hours, which costs $2. General admission from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. is $1.
The event will be held at Zion's main building located at 3668 Livernois in Troy, and is sponsored by the church's ladies ministry. Parking is free and strollers are welcome.
"As a single mother of three young children, I understand how expensive it can be to keep them in clothes that fit," says Cross. "Zion's annual Mom-2-Mom sale connects mothers from all over metro Detroit with the same goals -- saving money, recycling and helping other moms in this difficult economic time.
The proceeds from the admission fees and table rental fees go to support the church's ladies ministry and community outreach programs, including the Grace Centers of Hope and the Heart Campaign- Zion's anti-human trafficking organization.
Pastor Connie LeLaCheur, the senior pastor in charge of these outreach programs, said, "These annual Mom-2-Mom sales are such a symbiotic event for the Troy community and Zion -- we provide a venue for a great sale and the attendees and sellers, in turn, provide support that is put right back into the community."
For additional information, please visit www.zionchristian.org or call 248-524-2400.
