UPDATE: Yard Sale Raises $8,000+ for Couple's Adoption

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Updated: 10:18 AM Oct 31, 2011 UPDATE: Yard Sale Raises $8,000+ for Couple's Adoption A Charlottesville couple is hoping to adopt a child from Uganda. Chris and April Hoffman held a yard sale at Portico Church in Charlottesville Saturday, raising more than $8,000. Posted: 11:51 PM Oct 28, 2011 Reporter: Jessica Jaglois; Chris Stover Email Address: news@newsplex.com

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October 29, 2011

Shoppers crowded the Portico Church in Charlottesville Saturday for a yard sale with a purpose.

"I'm seeing a lot of people working together to help her, help her family, to help our community," yard sale shopper Renata Germino said.

It was the idea of Chris and April Hoffman, who were looking for help from the community to adopt a child from Uganda.

"We felt that God was leading us to adopt, specifically from Africa," April Hoffman said. "We know there's a great need everywhere, but we feel very strongly about that."

They began collecting items from the community earlier this week. At first, it looked bleak.

"I said to Chris, 'I don't know how we're going to do this. We don't really have any stuff,'" Hoffman said. "And he said, 'Don't worry. If this is meant to be, we'll have the stuff.'"

Clearly, it was meant to be. More than 50 families gave an estimated 5,000 items to the yard sale to help the Hoffmans' dreams become a reality.

"It's not just our child. We think of it as our community's child, our church, our family, our friends. Everybody has contributed to bring our child home to be in our family," Hoffman said.

Shoppers didn't need much motivation to buy.

"I have a lava lamp, I have roller blades. We have a bunch of things that we don't necessarily need but it's just part of the cause," Germino said.

It's a cause that's been months in the making, and the reward isn't far behind.

"Everything has just fit into place, and it's all come together from God," Hoffman said. "It has just been unbelievable. It's been really cool."

The Christian Outreach Center out of Fluvanna County collected what little was left from the yard sale.

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October 28, 2011

A Charlottesville couple is hoping to adopt a child from Uganda. Chris and April Hoffman will have a yard sale at Portico Church in Charlottesville Saturday, Oct. 29, to help pay for adoption fees. The pews are filled with items like linens, televisions and clothes. The couple hopes the yard sale will raise $20,000 so they can adopt their future child from Uganda.

"There is a child there that needs a home and doesn't have any family to take care of them and we are ready to be those parents. So we're really excited," said April Hoffman.

The couple says they have always had a special interest in international students and people.

The yard sale will begin October 29 at 8:00 a.m until 2:00 p.m.

Everything must go so the church can have service on Sunday.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Gary Young on Nov 1, 2011 at 01:21 PM

Lynne, you are right to be concerned about the needs here as we do have those who are suffering. It might be helpful to know that their church, my church and many others are involved with feeding, clothing and housing the homeless. Helping one couple save one child from certain death hasn’t come at the expense of local residents as might be assumed. Many poor folks who came to this fund-raiser were helped and grateful in finding bargains unaffordable at stores. At one point shoppers were generously offered all they could fit in shopping bags for $2.50/bag. And there was still plenty which was donated to Fluvanna’s Christian Outreach Ctr. Yes, we do have those less fortunate but they are not overlooked except perhaps by those who merely criticize and rarely do anything themselves. You are to be commended as your obvious concerns indicate that you are personally involved in local soup kitchens, donating financially or sharing of your personal possessions. Pray for more people like you.

Posted by: Christine on Nov 1, 2011 at 12:54 PM

It seems like a lot of people on here are just looking for an excuse to rip people apart and complain. This is not the right forum for such narrow-minded people. April and Chris are seeking to help a child, which is a wonderful thing; so all the malcontents should take their negativity elsewhere.

Posted by: Christine on Nov 1, 2011 at 12:42 PM

Sorry Tim, but atheism requires faith as well - faith in a belief system based on nothing. "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" -Psalm 14:1. Furthermore, reasoning is defined as, "the use of reason; especially: the drawing of inferences or conclusions through the use of reason." So, by definition, Gary is using "reasoning" as Dave points out.

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