Give your belongings that you don’t need another chance to be useful at a series of garage sales, recycling and donation events throughout South County during Second Chance Week starting on Sept. 7.
The 17th annual Second Chance Week starts with the Gilroy Citywide Garage Sale on Sept. 7 and 8, and ends with the Morgan Hill/San Martin Citywide Garage Sale on Sept. 14 and 15, according to Morgan Hill city staff.
The garage sales bookend a full week of events dedicated to making people aware of different ways to reduce, reuse and recycle:
• Monday, Sept. 9 is Universal Waste Awareness Day. Properly dispose of consumer electronics, batteries, fluorescent lighting and other devices containing mercury. Drop-off locations include Ace Hardware in Morgan Hill and Gilroy; DG Global (e-waste), 875 Jarvis Drive in Morgan Hill; Pacific Coast Recycling (e-waste), 5895 Obata Way in Gilroy; and the Santa Clara County HHW program for mercury containing devices; call (408) 299-7300 for details. Be aware that there is a charge to drop off some consumer electronics due to disposal costs.
• Tuesday, Sept. 10 is Freecycle Day. Freecycling helps reduce waste by connecting people who are throwing away unwanted items with others seeking the same items. There are Freecycle groups in both Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Visit trashnothing.com and click “Join Now” to sign up.
• Wednesday, Sept. 11 is Donate Coats for Kids & Adults Too Day. Share your unwanted coats with underprivileged children and their parents. Drop-off is 8am-5pm at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, or Gilroy City Hall, 7351 Rosanna St.
• Thursday, Sept. 12 is Second Sight Day. Give your old eyeglasses a second chance to serve someone less fortunate. Drop-off is 8am-5pm at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road or Gilroy City Hall, 7351 Rosanna St. The Lions Club will give your eyeglasses a second chance to serve someone who is less fortunate.
• Friday, Sept. 13 is Recycle Your Cycle Day. Donate your gently used bicycles, and city staff will help distribute them to local charities. Drop-off is at the Morgan Hill Corporation Yard, 100 Edes Court, 8am-3pm, or at Sunshine Bicycles, 311 First St. in Gilroy, 10am-5:30pm. Both children’s and adult bicycles will be accepted. Donors are asked to donate bicycles that are functional and can be easily repaired by a mechanic, free of rust or corrosion and clean enough that you would accept it as a gift.
To register your garage sale for either of the garage sale weekends, visit secondchanceweek.com. Applications are due no later than Aug. 30 for the Gilroy garage sales and no later than Sep. 6 for Morgan Hill/San Martin the garage sales. A full list of participating garage sale addresses will be posted on the website no later than noon the Friday before each weekend.
Second Chance Week is sponsored by the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy. For more information, call (408) 310-4169 or visit secondchanceweek.com.
