Gaston County Extension & Community Association

Our vendors are setting up and getting ready to spend our day with you all shopping! Come out and get a head start on Christmas shopping today at Citizen Resource Center (1303 Dallas Cherryville Hwy, Dallas NC) from 10am-3pm!

ECA has a silent auction and quilt raffle going on too and all proceeds go back in to the community!

This Saturday, November 16 from 10am-3pm we invite you to shop with us and these AMAZING vendors at the Citizen Resource Center (1303 Dallas Cherryville Hwy, Dallas NC) for the ECA Artisan Market and get some Christmas shopping done early!

Gaston County ECA will be raising money for the local community through a Quilt Raffle and Silent Auction + selling handmade items our Volunteers have donated.

Want to learn how to make your quilted applique sweatshirt, join us November 23 to learn how! This is a great class for those with basic sewing knowledge all the way to being an expert sewer!

When: Saturday, November 23
Time: 10am - 2pm
Cost: $20 ECA Members | $25 Non ECA Members
Location: Lucile Tatum Center 959 Osceola St. Gastonia NC

Learn more and register here: https://go.ncsu.edu/gastoneca

Mark your calendars!! Saturday, November 16 we are holding our annual ECA Artisan Market at the Citizen Resource Center in Dallas NC! Get an early start on Christmas gifts for family and friends and support local artisans and a good cause!! Doors open at 10am. We can’t wait to see you there!

Check back next week for a full list of vendors and what to find at the Market!

Location: 1303 Dallas Cherryville Hwy, Dallas NC
Time: 10am-3pm

We want your help! Our next sewing project class will be Saturday, December 7, but we can't decide what to teach you! Vote in the comments for "block" or "shape" and help us decide what to offer!

Registration and details will be released next week, so be sure to come back and snag a spot in the class!

Gaston County Government County Manager, Matt and Gaston County Commissioner, Cathy Cloninger spent some time with us yesterday to learn more about what we do, where we are in the Community and how we can support each other.

We enjoyed having many laughs and conversations with them both and learning more about the The Cathy Mabry Cloninger Center: A Domestic Violence Shelter and just this morning we filled their van with donations for women and children! Supporting each other and supporting our County Departments is something we at Gaston ECA love to do!!

I am proud to be involved with ECA. Oct 2 NC ECA president, Wanda Denning, announced that ECA members across the state were going to collect things needed for residents of western NC impacted by hurricane Helene. Kayla Adams posted all the info on social media and soon tons of items came to 959 Osceola St. On Oct 4 the members of Gaston Co ECA: Dana Croston, Lori Friesenhahn, Sandy Hamrick, Cynthia Machuga and Patti Wells,along with Dallas extension leaders Christie German and Linda Minges and her grandson Liam, loaded Kayla’s pickup truck to the brim with supplies which she delivered to the sheriff’s office. And the wonderful sheriff’s department delivered them to western nc today.

The last classes of 2024 have been updated and we're excited to share them with you!

October 10 & 17 - Learn to Crochet 2 Part Class
October 24 & 31 - Intermediate Crochet 2 Part Class
November 2 - Beginner Barn Quilt Painting
November 14 & 21 - Knitted Christmas Ornament 2 Part Class

All class information and registration can be found here: https://go.ncsu.edu/gastoneca

Due to Hurricane Helene and the heartache that she brought to NC, the ECA Artisan Market Board decided to postpone the event to November 16 to allow our vendors time to regroup after the storm.

Since we have postpone the event, we are re-opening Vendor Applications through November 4! Visit https://go.ncsu.edu/gastoneca to learn more and apply today!

*If you were already approved for the initial date, you do not need to reapply.

We are collecting donations at Lucile Tatum Center (959 Osceola St. Gastonia NC) to take to the Lincoln County Airport on Friday. All items donated through ECA will go to Operation Airdrop to ensure that the residents in Western NC will receive them.

In addition, Gaston County Cooperative Extension has more donation resources available on their website:
https://gaston.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/09/helene-disaster-response/

For questions or to schedule a time to drop off donations please contact [email protected]

The storm is over, but the cleanup and recovery have only just begun. If you want to help, please consider working with local agencies.

See the Gaston County Center website below for a list of organizations accepting donations and volunteers.

https://gaston.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/09/helene-disaster-response/

IMPORTANT!! The ECA Artisan Market has been POSTPONED to Saturday, October 5 due to the storm. Emergency Shelters has been activated at Citizen Resource Center and we are unable to move forward with the September 28 date. Check back for further updates regarding the Artisan Market and stay safe!!

Save the date to come shop the ECA Artisan Market on Saturday, September 28!

We have an amazing lineup of vendors and our ECA Volunteers have been working hard on so many one-of-a-kind handmade items for you to purchase! All proceeds from the sales at the ECA tables will go back in to the community, and all proceeds from the sales at the Vendor Booths support a local small business or Artisan!! There will also be raffles and silent auctions! Ticket sales for the quilt raffles start this Friday online!

Shopping the ECA Artisan Market gives you the chance to really "Support Local"!

We have just a few vendor spaces left for Saturday, September 28! We are leaving the application open through Monday morning at 8am. All applications received over the weekend will be contacted Monday to finalize your booth rental!

Being a Vendor helps the local community in many ways - from donation drives to scholarships to handmade items for local organizations, ECA does it all! But we can't do it without the support of our local community!

Click the link below to learn more about being an Artisan!
https://go.ncsu.edu/gastoneca

Saturday, September 28 from 10-3, join us at the Citizen Resource Center in the Town of Dallas, North Carolina for ECA's Artisan Market! We have a great selection of vendors that will be set up, and just to give you a teaser, we've got a list below!!

Want to get added to the list? It's not too late! Registration closes on Friday, September 13!! Click the link below to learn more about being an Artisan!

https://go.ncsu.edu/gastoneca

2024 Membership applications are currently being accepted and we want you to join us!

ECA is an integral part of our community in various ways - from making and donating baby quilts to the local NICU, to supporting Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, military members, local adult daycares and nursing homes and so much more.

It's not too late to join us and make a difference with ECA!

Call 704-866-3607 or email [email protected] for more information and to get your membership form today!