While Chelsea hosts numerous yard sales throughout the year, this particular one may be unique in its purpose: funding a book project.
Stacy Amaral, an author and educator who resides in Chelsea, coordinated the yard sale held last Saturday on Clark Avenue with her weekly adult English-Spanish class. The funds raised will support the creation of a book documenting immigrants’ experiences both in their countries of origin and in Chelsea.
The Chelsea Cultural Council provided a grant to the group, but additional funds were needed to cover publishing costs. To bridge this gap, the class organized the yard sale fundraiser. Chelsea Community Connections provides ongoing support for the class itself.
Amaral plans to conduct individual interviews with class members for the book. The participants hail originally from Puerto Rico, Honduras, El Salvador, Cape Verde, and Zambia.
“I’ll transcribe their interviews, write
them out, and then we’ll put the book together and get it printed,” said Amaral. “It’s a wonderful group of people that I’m working with in this class.”
The book’s title will be “Estamos Aqui
(We Are Here.”
A native of Brooklyn, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico who also lived in Central America, Amaral graduated from Clark University in 1969 and earned a Master’s degree in Educational Counseling. She previously worked as a teacher and adjustment counselor in the Worcester school system and established a dropout prevention program for Latino youth there.
Her published works include “Sharing Voices: Getting From There to Here.” Additionally, she has contributed articles to various educational publications.
The yard sale itself featured an interesting collection of used books alongside Latino food items for sale. Community members attended in large numbers to support the event and encourage the book initiative.
“We are grateful for the residents coming to
our yard sale,” said Amaral, who has resided in Chelsea for four years.
Looking ahead, Amaral is undertaking a garden project at the corner of Marlboro and Willow Streets, with funding provided through the Community Preservation Act.