The Great American Bake Sale

Today’s guest post is written by Jessica Bomberg, the manager of Great American Bake Sale, involved in Grassroots Fundraising and Youth Engagement at Share Our Strength. Jessica truly enjoys helping volunteers across the country give back to a cause that everyone cares about.

There is one staggering fact that drives people to get involved with Share Our Strength; there are more than 16 million kids in America struggling with hunger.  It can’t be ignored.  I am proud to say that there are volunteers across the country who have said they won’t stand to see kids go hungry. I have gotten to know so many of our Great American Bake Sale volunteers and I have to say, some of our most dedicated volunteers are kids!

I don’t have to tell you about the power of kids and their ability to make a difference, I get to see it every day. Kids of all ages hosting bake sales in their communities with their friends and families. They put together incredible events that bring attention and raise vital funds for a cause they care about. To me there’s nothing more powerful than kids helping kids.

Here’s a story from one such kid, 11-year-old Kate from Naperville, Ill. Kate and her entire family hosted their first bake sale last year and I want you to hear all about it:

“My mom came up with the idea of having a bake sale for Share our Strength and I loved it. For one, it would benefit the children in America who really are starving and in need of food, and, I would be able to give back while doing one of my favorite activities: baking.

While I really love to bake, I knew I wasn’t just baking for fun. There are kids in America, one in five, who are not getting the nutrition they need to be healthy. From the very beginning, I knew that by baking and selling goods, I would be able to help make a difference to those who need food. I have always been blessed to have enough and my heart goes out to children who don’t have enough. The whole experience of giving to others has been incredible.

The reaction from people in the neighborhood was really immense. We had more than 30 families and businesses donating goods or supplies. We had volunteers helping with set up, clean up, delivering goods to the sale location, and my entire family worked the sale. We raised more than  $2,200! Our sale was so large that a reporter interviewed us.

My experience with the first sale has motivated me to serve more. The Share our Strength organization is incredible, and I am really happy to know that people care about others who have less than we do. If you are considering doing a sale but you’re not sure if you can, just try a small one because every dollar you raise can really make a huge impact on the children in America who don’t have enough food to eat every day.”

Thanks to Kate and kids just like her, Share Our Strength is making strides in the fight to end childhood hunger in America. You too can play a part by hosting a bake sale of your own.  Signup today as part of the GenerationOn national team and together we can bake a difference!