Effingham shows once again that the spirit of giving is alive and well.

Rosanne Brant and Sharon Drawdy, neighbors and friends on a rural Clyo road, are bringing their community friends and other neighbors together to help the Daley family.

They are hosting a yard sale and bake sale Oct.8 at 7 a.m. to help the Daleys pay for James Daley’s medical bills, regular monthly expenses and James and Faye Daley’s daughter to get back and forth to Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Brandt and Drawdy said that James Daley was a true neighbor and friend the moment they met him when they each moved to Green Morgan School Road. Brandt, who has lived down the road from Daley for 21 years, said that the day they moved in he stopped by to ask if he could do anything for them. Drawdy echoed the story and said that Daley was a frequent visitor from then on at his leisure, dropping off extra produce and such that he’d picked up on an outing.

“Not like, ‘do you want them,’” said Drawdy. “(It’s) ‘I’m bringing them.’ That’s just James.”

They said that James Daley is the type of person who makes friends everywhere he goes.

Daley, who has lived in the county more than 20 years, has been on dialysis since 2007 when his kidneys failed, placing him on disability. This year the kidney removed was found to be cancerous, removing him from the transplant list until he is cancer-free for a minimum of three years. He’s also had triple bypass heart surgery this year, and Drawdy and Brandt said that his wife was laid off two years ago, leaving the family on a fixed income.

“I just don’t know that I could’ve kept up as well as he has (if I were in his condition),” said Drawdy,  “and he goes and he’ll drive his daughter to college at Armstrong and really does too much, more than he should be doing. But that’s what keeps him going.

“When you see somebody fight so hard to stay and not give up and waiting on that kidney, one day that kidney’s going to come, then that just kind of motivates you to, you know, ‘what can I do to help?’

“It’s not like we can give him a kidney — we can try to help with some of his medical bills.”

They said that they yard sale/bake sale idea came to them because it was something they could do.

“Everybody is having a hard time right now, financially; everybody has some stuff around their house that they could sell,” said Brandt. “Money’s not coming out of everyone’s pocket, but they’re helping to contribute.”

They said that besides neighbors, folks who have heard about the sale donated items, including Effingham Christian School, which donated furniture such as bunk beds and baby cribs. Turkey Branch Methodist Church has promised items, baked goods and tables for the sale as well.

Yard sale goers can buy breakfast that morning as well — homemade cinnamon rolls, muffins, scones and coffee — between sifting through items.

Signs will be posted along the way to lead buyers to 358 Green Morgan School Rd. in Clyo for the sale Saturday. For more information or to make a cash or item donation, contact Rosanne Brandt at (912) 659-2150 or Sharon Drawdy at (912) 856-3531.