Tenants of Sound Storage in Port Townsend are banding together to put on a giant garage sale that helps them clean out their units while supporting a good cause. This year, proceeds will help the Port Townsend Food Bank buy pet food.

Sound Storage manager Crickett Webster expects at least 30 storage-unit customers to join in the community yard sale taking place 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 at 606 E. Park Ave., behind Union Bank and the Goodwill store in Port Townsend.

“Everybody is so upbeat about doing this and everyone has such a good time,” Webster said.

Sound Storage sponsors the event. In exchange, customers agree to show up for the day, offer items for sale and donate what they can to the cause of the year.

Three years ago, Webster said, funds were given to Olympic Mountain Pet Pals and the Jefferson County animal shelter. Last year, Center Valley Animal Rescue received about $200. Dog food and kennels also were collected last year.

“My goal this year is to do a canned food drive for the Port Townsend Food Bank, and then the cash would go straight to the animal food bank,” Webster said.

And she’s already ahead this year with those contributions. A storage-unit customer heard about the sale and gave her a $300 check to give to the food bank to buy pet food.

“They weren’t going to be here for the yard sale, but they wanted to donate to the cause,” Webster said.

“One of the things I’m finding out about is that people aren’t aware of the pet food bank. That’s a well-oiled operation,” Webster said.

Webster has a soft spot for animals. Her dog, Max, a Staffordshire terrier, is a pound puppy she picked up in Nevada.

“Animals are so important to our customers,” Webster said of finding a great interest in donating to pet-related programs.

GRATEFUL

Port Townsend Food Bank manager Shirley Moss couldn’t agree more. She said the food bank could use the help.

“When people can’t afford to feed themselves, they can’t afford to feed their pets,” Moss said. “So, what happens is people feed their animals the canned tuna, for example.”

The food bank can’t buy pet food with donation money unless it’s actually earmarked for pet food, which that $300 check was.

“What that means is that we get catch is as catch can,” she said of the sporadic donations. “This sort of thing [the community garage sale] helps us build up our larder for pet food. It’s going to help a lot.

“I would say two-thirds of the people who come to the food bank have a pet,” Moss added.

While some people might suggest it’s inappropriate for someone struggling with finances to own a pet, Moss said that’s a judgment she doesn’t make.

“For the guys living out in the woods, that’s their family,” she said. “For the lady living in an apartment, her cat may be the only thing greeting her when she gets home.”

WHAT’S FOR SALE?

As for what customers sell, Webster said people “come up with things they’ve been storing and don’t want to store anymore” and they also bring things from home.

“We have everything from furniture to jewelry,” she said. “Some people want to sell everything in their unit. And buyers enjoy wandering up and down the aisles to shop.”

“It’s grown, and it doubles in size every year. I’m getting such a huge response this year,” she said of the now annual storage sale.

The sale only involves customers who want to participate and does not include items in storage units for which people have not paid rent, Webster said.