How do you use fundraisers to do good?
Impatiens by an old barrel. Picture by Paula Flat
Lately, I am taking a different attitude towards the many fundraisers that come my way.
It seems as if every organization my kids belong to have two or three different fundraisers each year. Cookies, candles and popcorn. There are the carwashes and dinners/auction.
What I have decided to do is use these fundraisers for good instead of a necessary evil. I am going to look down those lists to find gifts for various loved one. If there is a shopping day and I need groceries, I am going to the store that will give a percentage to my favorite group.
Our church youth group is doing just that at the Country Fruit Market at 1695 S. Schuyler in south Kankakee. On April 20-22, ten percent of the proceeds from your plant purchase from items in the greenhouse will be directed to our youth group. This will be very helpful as they are planning to go to the Christian work camp for teens called Mountain Top in Tennessee this summer.
Because I am in the firm belief you can never have enough flowers, I am planning to go and get some impatiens along with snap dragons and dianthus. I might even be brave and get some petunias. If you decide to help out, make sure to mention that you would like your purchase to be credited to the Aroma Park United Methodist Church’s youth group.
Another group that holds many fundraisers over the year is Relay For Life. Each team has a monetary goal to raise for the cause. But to go farther, teams can hold a variety of events including pizza parties, bowling nights, garage sales and shopping days. Again, it is using the power of what you need or want to do to help others. To find when these events are going on, copy and past the following address to see how you can help cancer research.
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY10IL?sid=81409&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=22183.
Finally, I found out about another charity doing something a little different. This group, Dining for Life, has asked restaurants to give a percentage of profits from diners on Thursday, April 29th to help people living with AIDS. While this illness does not get the press it once did, getting this chronic disease makes for a number of changes in a person’s life.
The Chicagoland area has 60 restaurants participating, some are downtown, some are located around the city and others are in the suburbs. I like that a nice night out for a couple can lead to helping someone who is dealing with an illness that is life long.
For more information visit the website at www.diningoutforlife.com.
How do you make helping others an everyday action?
Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook or send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.
