A yard and bake sale held Friday and Saturday at the former Trapp Elementary School has brought the organization Lady Veterans Connect closer to its goal of re-purposing the school to be used as a temporary housing facility for female veterans and their children.  

The organization grew out of two working in the area, Sheppard’s Hands and Lady Vets Connect. 

Phyllis Abbott, the organization’s co-executive director, said the sale was one of several fundraising events aimed at collecting $65,000 to fix the old school’s heating and fire sprinkler systems.

“We had a good yard sale,” Abbott said. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’ll get there.”

She said the event served a dual purpose. In addition to raising money, it allowed the school to open its doors for an opportunity to educate the public.

“It was a good opportunity for some of our neighbors to come out, see what we’re doing with the building and what we’ll be doing with our veterans,” Abbott said.

In addition to the ongoing work at Trapp, Lady Veterans Connect operates a home in Lexington where the organization works with lady veterans and hosts workshops, expos and other educational events.