A longtime community resource that helps families save money on children’s necessities has a new owner.

The Times News and Lehigh Valley Press purchased the Kids Closet Sale from Danielle Andreas, who started the consignment sale nearly a decade ago, and will build on Andreas’ vision this April. The paperwork was finalized Tuesday.

“We’ve been talking about getting into hosting events for a few months, and when Danielle posted that after nine years, she was giving (the Kids Closet Sale) up and if anyone was interested to contact her, I thought it was a sign,” said Jennifer Benninger, advertising director for the Times News. “It is family oriented. We thought it was a great fit.”

Jennifer Rowden, director of marketing at the Times News, added, “I feel like this hopefully reinforces to families that newspapers are here and are a resource. We want to meet your needs in whatever format that might be. I felt that this was a really good match.”

The pair contacted Andreas and after a few discussions, Andreas felt the company was what the sale needed moving forward.

“I’m excited for the Times News to take it over,” she said, adding that she can appreciate the family behind the big business. “I felt it was the right move.”

Andreas began the sale just under 10 years ago on a whim, hoping to help families save money on children’s items. She hosted the event at the Lehighton Boys and Girls Band Hall, and the rest is history.

“That was 10 years ago,” she said, wiping away a tear. “We made this work. I don’t know how, but it happened.”

She said it was an honor to turn over the sale to the Times News and Lehigh Valley Press. “That’s an achievement,” Andreas said.

But Andreas and her family aren’t completely stepping away from the event she nurtured for so long. Consignors and shoppers will still see her during the sale, to be held April 16-18 at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, but in a support role rather than as the boss.

“I’m excited about the learning curve that this is going to provide me,” she said. “It’s going to be tough giving up a little bit of the control, but I’m actually looking forward to that.”

Benninger said that the sale will see only minimal changes, but for the most part will still work as Andreas ran it in the past.

“You don’t fix something that isn’t broken,” she said.

Rowden added that the Times News’ goal is to keep the Kids Closet Sale as a community resource here in Carbon County.

“Our community needs this sale,” she said. “There are moms who depend on this.”

The Kids Closet Sale has grown significantly since Andreas first hosted it at the Lehighton Boys and Girls Band Hall. It had also been held at Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall for two years before moving to Penn’s Peak five years ago.

Since then, families have been able to stock up clothing, high chairs, toys and everything in between twice a year — in the fall and spring.

Registration for the upcoming spring event will open soon, hopefully by the end of the month, Benninger said, adding that more information will be announced in the Times News, as well as at tnonline.com and on the Times News and Kids Closet Sale Facebook pages in the near future.

“We’re really excited about it,” Benninger said.