Annual Bejeweled Fundraiser Honors Longtime Volunteer

The seventeenth annual Be Jeweled pre-loved jewelry sale extravaganza is

set for Saturday, May 9th, 10 am - 4 pm at the Central Coast Assembly Church 236 NE 6th St. Newport, OR. All proceeds from the sale benefit Food Share of Lincoln County, which is dedicated to eliminating hunger by creating access to food through a network of partner agencies such as food pantries, meal sites, senior outreach, and youth programs.

This year, Food Share is dedicating the sale to the late Pati D’Eliseo who died last fall. Pati

worked at Food Share for over 10 years and was the driving force behind BeJeweled. As a

trained chef, Pati shared her knowledge enthusiastically, from meal prep to teaching nutrition

education in ways that inspired and empowered others. Her ability to connect with people,

whether in the kitchen or the classroom, reflected her deep belief that food is not only

nourishment but also a source of dignity, joy, and community. She absolutely LOVED jewelry

and helped make BeJeweled what is today - the biggest fundraiser for Food Share of Lincoln

County.

The BeJeweld sale includes all types of jewelry - all eras, all styles. With over 2000 donated

pieces of jewelry: everything from vintage pins, earrings and pendants, to sterling silver

necklaces and bangles, there is something for everyone. Donors are very generous so there are also semi precious stone pieces and some fine jewelry of silver and gold. Handmade artisan pieces include earrings and necklaces made especially for the sale. There’s a whole room for crafters and artists looking for components to make their own unique pieces. This year Food Share has received two HUGE donations of beads - so it’s a crafters wonderland!

Nancy Mitchell, Executive Director of Food Share of Lincoln County, believes that the appeal of Be Jeweled is that it’s completely unique. “There’s no other event like this on the coast,” she says, “ It’s a great way to help Food Share by donating your pre-loved jewelry then shopping the sale for treasures new to you. We open the doors at 10am, and let our shoppers seek out Be Jeweled treasures until 1 PM. The doors close from 1-2 PM to give our 20 hardworking volunteers a break. Then, with great excitement, we re-open the doors from 2pm-4pm for the half-price sale. We have dedicated shoppers who come year after year as well as folks experiencing it for the first time. It’s a super fun, great way to help the community.”

One major change this year is that gold will no longer be half off. “With so many reductions in funding for food programs, we need to raise as much money as possible. So this year, we will not lower the price of our gold items. We know the community will understand.”

The annual Be Jeweled sale, as well as the year round sales at Rustic Ridge Antique Mall,

Nostalgia Estate Sales Antique Mall and Oceanic Arts raise over $30,000 per year. That money is used to purchase and distribute food for Lincoln County food pantries and partner agencies. “The need is greater than ever.”

To learn more about Be Jeweled, call Food Share of Lincoln County at 541-265-8578 or visit

Food Share of Lincoln County’s website at www.foodsharelc.org