Painting with a Purpose
Our bakeries support many charities throughout the country from donating baskets for local auctions to providing bread for homeless shelters and food banks. For some bakeries, the charities they support come about because of a personal connection.
Loretta and Jim Kmet, owners of the Cookeville, TN Great Harvest have supported Alzheimer’s Tennessee for the past few years. Loretta says they had been looking for a specific organization to support for a while. When her aunt passed away from the disease and Jim’s mother was diagnosed, she says, “I guess it chose us.”
For the past three years they have sponsored the “Forget Me not” muffin fundraiser in the bakery. This March, they raise $450 in muffin sales. Local celebrities helped to kick off the event and raised money for the association by collecting money in canisters around town.
This year, they took their support further by hosting “Painting with a Purpose” in April. They opened the bakery to folks who wanted to paint for the cause, paying $25 each to attend the class which sold out weeks ahead of time. This event raised another $650 for the organization and the painters were served GH treats during their breaks.
While each member of the class was given the same instructions on painting, Loretta said it was fun to see the different approaches each painter took and the end results. Painters ranged in ages from 10-60 and many donated their work to be displayed in the bakery and sold for $25 to raise even more funds.
They are hoping to have another class underway in the next few weeks and are participating in the Alzheimer’s Walk in September, as they’ve done in years past.
Loretta says that her customers have commented on their support of this worthy organization because it touches so many people. For her and Jim, it is something that became very personal and they could stand behind. It’s that personal connection that inspires them to find new ways to increase their support.
Do you have a personal connection to an organization that has inspired you to get involved?
