It’s Thursday morning and Bonnie Sidhu is rearranging knickknacks on her front patio following a rush of estate salegoers. Inside, her living room is consumed by tables of glassware, silver, furniture, vinyl and full sets of collectible tableware for sale. In the back of the living room stands a white, tri-fold presentation board with pictures of a family in a faraway country with words written in permanent marker, “Goal is to raise $17,299.”

“We started this project last June when sister Ellen arrived in Liberia with her two grown sons and her four grandchildren,” Sidhu said, explaining that her faraway friend, Ellen Sonnie Meyers, whom she met on Facebook, had to flee the Liberian Civil War to Ghana with her entire family in tow.

Since June of last year, Sidhu has been raising money with her friends, Gaynell J. Brierley, Shelly Brady, Sue Grove, Kerry Jacobs and other women to get Meyers back in Liberia and into a brand-new home. She hired a contractor and construction began last year.

“It’s like God gave me an assignment,” Sidhu said. I feel really blessed.”

Sidhu first began sending small “love offerings” to keep Meyers and her family fed. In December, she held a yard sale that did moderately well but was still far from her goal.

Deciding to commit more time to help Meyers and her family, Sidhu picked up a part-time sales job and has been sending her entire paycheck to Meyers. Retired from a career in banking and real estate, Sidhu is now semi-retired and content working toward her goal of building Meyers a new life.

Last week, Sidhu and Brierley decided to host an estate sale where 50% of their proceeds will go directly to helping erect a new home for Meyers.

“It helps me clean up my storage unit,” Brierley said, whose items date back generations, especially the furniture and silver.

Sidhu and Brierley are members of Calvary Chapel in Fountain Hills. Meyers is also a devout Christian, which makes this project all the more meaningful for everyone involved.

At the start of the estate sale, Sidhu needed just over $3,600 left to complete the project. By the end of the weekend, she was within $2,674 of her goal and hopes that more garage sales will help reach her target.

“She just feels like she’s dreaming. She just says she’s so thankful,” Sidhu said of Meyers.

Facebook friends

The Liberian Civil Wars ravaged the country between 1989 and 2003, and Meyers and her family fled to Ghana for safety. Her husband remained in Liberia to fight but was killed during the conflict.

While in Ghana, Meyers took to Facebook to connect with friends and family and struck up a conversation with Sidhu on the Facebook page, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

“During COVID, when everything was online, I was looking on the group’s page because I’m a grandmother raising grandchildren looking for support and wanted to get to know other grandparents,” Sidhu said. “I literally talked to [Meyers] for a year before I even knew that she was destitute and poor.”

When Meyers was finally able to return to Liberia with her family, the project of building her a new home began. A contractor was hired and estimates were sent to Sidhu throughout the year as work was being done.

When asked if she feared being scammed, Sidhu says she’s been getting that question a lot.

“Honestly, the main thing is faith. I’ve been a Christian my whole life and when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, I know it’s the Holy Spirit,” Sidhu said. “[Meyers] has never asked me for a dime…the whole family called me and wished me happy birthday. I’ve gotten a lot of negative feedback but that’s what the world will do. God’s people will help. And how do you know God’s people? By the way they love one another.”

Grandma’s love

As the project nears completion, Sidhu looks forward to meeting Meyers and her family in person when the time is right. For now, she’s happy to keep her part-time sales job and continue giving to Meyers even after the goal is met.

“Until God takes me home, I will pay for their food and make sure the kids get educated because I believe education breaks chains of poverty,” Sidhu said.