Making a difference with … gummi bears?
Most of us remember the tiny, Haribo-brand creatures from childhood. They come in green, yellow, white, orange and red and have flavors like strawberry, raspberry and pineapple.
Kids and their parents buying gummi bears at Shady Grove United Methodist Church's vacation bible school this week will be supporting hungry children through the Backpack Program.
But who knew gummi bears could serve a purpose beyond satisfying the occasional sweet tooth?
Leigh Bartoli, an associate pastor at Shady Grove United Methodist Church, decided to package the bite-sized candy and sell it as a fundraiser to benefit the hungry children she kept reading about in the local news.
“There was a great need in the Lexington area that was not being addressed,” she said. “We saw the statistics of the kids living in poverty there and we felt like it was what we were called to do to address the need in our area through the Backpack Program.”
Bartoli said she chose gummi bears because of their low cost and potential attraction for kids coming to Shady Grove for vacation bible school this week. At $1 a pack, the candy is within reach for most of the congregation and their guests. Another thing, she added, is that the gluten-free, peanut-free bears can be enjoyed by anyone – even kids with food allergies.
Bartoli estimates the church will make more than $800 selling the gummi bears, all of which will be donated to the Backpack Program’s general fund. Any candy left unsold at the end of this week will be offered to the public on July 9 at Holt Moffit Field during the church’s kickoff event for their Lexington-area bible school and mission work.
“We’ll be staying at Wesley Heights United Methodist Church and leading a bible school for three churches,” said Bartoli. “During the day we’ll be doing some home repairs for two elderly women, we’ll be going to the Salvation Army to serve lunch and we will also be working at churches that need repairs.”
To learn more about Shady Grove’s gummi bear fundraiser or their mission work, call 769-2942.