Former teacher raises more than $1,200 for charity

Sept. 2, 2006
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon@fredericknewspost.com

MIDDLETOWN — A retired schoolteacher, who sold more than four decades of classroom supplies during a weeklong garage sale in August, raised more than $1,200 for her favorite charity — Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County.

Judy Brandenburg spent the past 43 years teaching second-grade students in Frederick County. In that time she accumulated boxes of lesson plans, activities and teaching aids, many of which she made.

At the sale, none of the supplies had price tags. Ms. Brandenburg let the buyers decide how much to donate to Habitat for Humanity.

"Some people didn't come, but sent a check instead because they wanted to support the fund even further," she said Sunday.

The largest donation, $500, came from a former colleague. Ms. Brandenburg declined to name the donor.

She said the most popular items for teachers were more than 500 lesson plans she meticulously prepared over the years.

"Each one is a self-contained packet that teachers could design an entire lesson around," she said.

Other teachers favored small group activities for reinforcing math and language skills. Of the more than 300 children's books she had gathered through the years, only a handful remained.

"Some people brought their children so they could pick their own books," she said. "Children just sat and picked through the boxes until they found what they wanted."

Ms. Brandenburg plans to donate leftover items to another charity that helps people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

She said her sale was not like a typical yard sale where buyers browse for a few minutes before heading off. The teachers each spent about an hour going through supplies to see what could be of use to their students.

"It's a great feeling because it was a lot of work I had done, and now somebody else is going to use it," she said.