Building on the success of its first craft show last fall, Limeville Church, 5783 Limeville Road, Gap, will host a spring craft fair on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The spring event will feature even more crafters than the first one, as well as food items prepared by church members. "We had a lot of people filtering in and out (at the fall event) and everyone said how nice it was. We kept hearing compliments throughout the show," said congregation member Melanie Shivery, who is organizing the event along with Danae Baldwin. "This time, we will have hot dogs and beef barbecue for anyone who would like to eat lunch." Takeouts will also be available.

The craft fair will be set up downstairs in the church's fellowship hall. Crafts for sale will include leather jewelry and leather crafts, custom iced coffee cups, crocheted stuffed animals and crocheted dresses. "We also have Dresden & Company baskets, and we have someone making homemade paper crafts - cards and banners - and homemade sewing crafts and beaded items."

The fall event featured 16 crafters, including Shivery, who sold jewelry and cups. "(This time) our cap is 24 (crafters), and we are up to 19 crafters," she noted.

All proceeds from the craft fair will support the church's children's ministry and the Limeville's Blessings store, which offers free clothing, household items, children's toys, toiletries and more to people in need. The store, which Shivery operates, opened at the church in July of 2022. Anyone in need of assistance is welcome to visit the store, and no proof of income or residency is required. Limeville's Blessings is currently open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Last year, we finished out the year helping 839 families," Shivery reported. "This year, we have already helped a little over 200 families."

People are permitted to visit the store to collect free items once per month. "We have people from all over coming. I post on Facebook when we are opening the night before or the morning before, and usually we have 15 to 20 people sitting on the door stoop when the volunteer gets there," Shivery noted. "There are a lot of people in need of clothes."

Donations of gently used clothing, shoes, bedding, blankets and small kitchen appliances are also accepted during store hours. All donated fabric items must be freshly laundered and all clothing items should be separated and labeled by size and gender. Bedding and sheets must also be marked by size. "We have donation guidelines. Everything has to be presorted," noted Shivery. "We were getting shoes mixed in with clothes and towels."

She said that those who receive children's clothing from the store frequently return it to keep the cycle of giving going. "We get a lot of single parents who come. When our seasons change, they swap out their kids' outgrown stuff and get new stuff," Shivery said. "So they are helping the community while they are helping themselves."

For more information about the craft fair or Limeville's Blessings, visit www.facebook.com/LimevillesBlessingsStore.