by Anna C.
You can’t go wrong with food, right? Everyone relishes a good meal, and even during war, people pause to eat. This must be the reason that most of the successful fundraising events, held by churches, are built around food: festivals, bake sales, galas, drive-thru, etc. This is why the Fundraising Events Committee chose a pasta takeout as St. Mary’s first fundraising event for the Capital Renovation Project.
The Gourmet Pasta Takeout provides a convenient way for busy people to enjoy a gourmet meal prepared by local hands. The plan is for people to be able to pre-order their meals online and then come to the church at a specific date and time to pick up their order. While the recipes and their ethnic origins may vary from event to event, the theme of pasta will be a constant brand element that will help build a local following over time, inside and outside the parish walls.
There are many logistical questions that need to be answered before a concept is tried publically: How much food should we prepare? How many volunteers are needed? Where should we buy supplies from? What is the best way to package the food? How should the online payment process be structured?
To test our assumptions and get answers to our questions, we are excited to announce that a pilot of this concept will be held on September 17. While St. Mary’s Gourmet Pasta Takeout is intended to go beyond St. Mary’s community to raise funds, we are turning to the parish to test the concept in a dry run. This practice and your feedback will be invaluable in ensuring that we are ready and equiped to serve a public audience.
This is a milestone for St. Mary’s. This fundraising event marks the first step toward the launch of our capital campaign and the first attempt at creating a new and sustainable fundraising model. After all, St. Mary's cannot depend only on parishioner donations for its capital expenses, including the upcoming Capital Renovation Project. Fundraising events such as this are organized to lessen the burden on parishioners, improve our financial health, and allow the church to meet the rising demands of the future and needs of its parishioners.
Volunteering Positions Available
Our efforts at launching new fundraising events and preparing for a capital campaign depend entirely on the support of our community, including volunteers, ready to roll up their sleeves and build the future together.
Besides giving of ourselves to our church and God, volunteer roles also represent great opportunities for applying your skills in new ways, gaining new skills and experiences, practicing new professional roles, even coordinating with schools or scout troops to be allowed to earn credit or badges. Join us and burnish your resume!
We're currently seeking volunteers for these positions:
- Manager of event marketing (especially through social media): helps brand events, promotes them to various markets, including other churches, neighborhoods, niche groups, and the public
- Online payment coordinator: sets up a mechanism for people to pre-register and pay online
- Pasta partners (multiple positions): helps to cook, package meals, interface with customers. These positions are great opportunities for teenagers and even children
- Neighborhood liaison: promotes events to, and build relationships with, the neighborhood and other nearby communities
- Sign coordinator: creates or supervises the production of 3-5 giant signs to promote event to the neighborhood and those driving by
