Hmmm, how to raise $100K in one day? Well, have a bake sale, of course! Every year a group of bakers gathers together to hold a bake sale for the hungry, and they are very successful in doing so—last year they raised more than 100K. I mean, who could imagine one could raise that much help from a bake sale? We met up with Chris Landrum and some other friendly bakers who are definitely "Baking a Difference" to help local food banks. We'll let Chris tell you all about it.
573: Tell us about the bake sale this year?
We are excited about this year's bake sale. We are sensing great community support for the different components of the bake sale. We will have all our usual events: our cafe opens at 8 AM, serving homemade breakfast and lunch items. At 9 AM our doors open, and customers can shop for baked goods, bid on themed silent auction baskets, or purchase raffle tickets for their favorite holiday decor items. At 10:00, the live auction begins, followed by the Cookin' Clergy contest. (The Cookin' Clergy contest is a contest between participating pastors. Their cakes are judged on taste and appearance, and then they are auctioned off. Last year the contest raised over $40,000!) There is also free cookie decorating for the kids.
573: Tell us how much you raised last year?
Last year we were profoundly blessed to be able to split $100,000 between the St. Vincent de Paul and Ministerial Alliance food pantries.
573: Why are community efforts like this so important to the health of a town?
The bake sale is an excellent opportunity for anyone in our community to contribute to and increase the health of the town. The bake sale was designed purposefully so that anyone who wanted to participate could. Businesses, social organizations, schools, churches, individuals all come together for this event. When we raise the kind of money that we do, I think it sends a message to the town that together, we can do great things.
The other thing that happens the day of the bake sale is that people connect with friends and acquaintances, some of whom they haven't seen the entire year. Men sit in our cafe, drink coffee, and chat with friends; families stroll through the gym looking for baked goodies for the kids. Others spend the whole morning catching up with friends. There is a wonderful atmosphere to the bake sale that is heartwarming.
573: Are all the baked goods homemade?
Absolutely. We do not take any store-bought items to be sold at our bake sale. In addition to baked items, people can also bring in dried mixes, handmade items, pet treats, etc. We have several booths to house our baked items. These booths include pies, cakes, cookies, chocolate, bread, healthy treats, and Grandma's Kitchen, which houses all the miscellaneous items I mentioned above.
573: Is everyone welcome outside the church?
Although we have church influence through our Cookin' Clergy contest and committee workers, absolutely everyone is welcome. This is a community event to feed community people. We welcome everyone to come.
573: How can people help the effort?
People can bake. Baked items can be dropped off at St. Joe gym in Farmington on Friday between 4 - 6:30 PM, Saturday morning from 7-9. People can put together a themed basket valued at $100 or less for the silent auction, create a holiday wreath, centerpiece, swag, or other tabletop items for the holiday raffle, or donate an item or service for the live auction. Another way to help is to come to the event, and shop and monetary donations are always appreciated. We are a 501(c)3 organization, and some people choose to make year-end donations to us for tax purposes. And if they can't do any of that, they can tell others about the event or pray for our event. People can message us on Facebook at Help the Hungry Bake Sale for more information.