NATCHEZ — One person’s old and unused goods becomes another person’s ticket to saving animals’ lives at Grace United Methodist Church’s annual garage sale fundraiser.

When The Dart landed near the church off of Seargent S. Prentiss Drive on Saturday afternoon, the church was boxing up all of the items — clothing, blankets, car seats and dishes — that weren’t sold during their fundraising event.

Everything for the sale — which is actually done in the church fellowship hall and not a garage — is donated and when the sale is over none of the items go to waste, said Judy Strickland, a church volunteer.

Everything that is sold in the church fellowship hall raises money for the general church budget to be used as needed while the rest is sent to the Paws for a Cause charity, Strickland said.

“We raised about $3,000 today,” Strickland said. “… We have a lot of animal lovers within our church, so anything we don’t sell is given to Paws for a Cause.”

The fundraiser lasted from 7 a.m. until noon Saturday and soon after it ended Strickland said a group came to help box up everything that had not been sold to take to Paws for a Cause, a local non-profit that operates two thrift stores on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive, and on U.S. 61 near Kaiser’s Equipment Yard.

The profits generated by the thrift stores benefit the Natchez Adams County Humane Society, said thrift store manager, Susan Callon.

“We have to fill up two thrift stores, so (the fundraiser) has really been a blessing to us,” Callon said.

Callon said the garage sale is just one of the ways Grace United  Methodist shows love for the shelter pets each year.

“The church also does the annual blessing of the pets every year in October,” Callon said, adding that during the church service donations are given to the Humane Society.

Dianne Brown, who also volunteered for the garage sale Saturday, said church members and people from all over the community participate in the annual event.

“We had about 150 people here at least. Probably 150 to 200 people,” Brown said.