Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church, 1199 Spring Valley Road, Quarryville, is gearing up for its annual Nuts 'N' Bolts sale on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Local vendors will sell items from power tools to dollhouses at the event, which will serve as a fundraiser for Middle Octorara Presbyterian's humanitarian efforts in Peru. This year will mark the ninth annual Nuts 'N' Bolts sale at the church, a tradition that was started by church member Boni Henry.

When the sale first began, its primary goal was to vend items that would appeal to conventionally masculine interests such as sporting equipment and power tools. "I remember thinking that there were all of these things for women to go to, but we needed something more geared towards men and their interests," said Henry, who's spent much of her life in close proximity to men and their hobbies. Henry had no sisters growing up; she played with the neighborhood boys and later had three sons of her own.

The first sale was a success and received positive feedback from the community. As the Nuts 'N' Bolts sale grew each year, it came to include items beyond snow blowers and screwdrivers; attendees of the event can now peruse anything from birdhouses to vintage collectibles. "It isn't exclusive," said Henry. "There's something for everyone, and the whole family will enjoy it."

Twenty percent of the profits made by vendors will benefit Middle Octorara Presbyterian's Peru Fund, which is used for the church's various projects to improve the living conditions of those residing in the village of Tamshiyacu. These projects include sending medical supplies, completing construction and repair jobs and installing equipment to help residents of the village meet their basic needs. "Every year there are so many wonderful people who participate in the sale and end up donating all of their proceeds to the fund," said Henry. "The people buying items at the sale are always very generous as well." To become a vendor, call Henry at 717-405-1113 or send an email to bohphen@outlook.com.

Middle Octorara Presbyterian first became involved with mission trips to Peru in 2005 and sent a group of volunteers to Tamshiyacu every year until 2019. Groups from the church helped to construct a building that serves as a school, church and pastor's residence and installed a water tank to provide locals with fresh drinking water. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented volunteers from continuing their annual trips in recent years, the church continues to send money and supplies to the village. The church hopes to resume sending volunteers this coming summer.