good fund raiser & service project!!

[vrunca]

I am a youth minister in northern Michigan...Farm Country! It's beautiful, but for a youth group, there is not much opportunity to do some serious fund raising, we just don't have that many people here! Anyway, one of the dad's (and a huge help to me) who has a farm suggested that we choose three of the youth to raise steers (that would be a casterated male bovine). They would be raised with the rest of his cattle, so it wouldn't really be any additional work for him, and the kids would come by once a week to get familiar with their steer. This starts in the fall, by August the youth are used to their steer, and have become members of the local 4-H club and have learned how to handle and show their steer. At our county fair, we auction off the steers to local businesses and people and make a profit. We also pay back the farmer for the feed and original cost of the steer. Last year after all the steers were auctioned off and everyone was paid off, for 3 steers and a lot of fun, we made about 6,000.00! And there were a lot of other perks to, like the youth all got in the fair for free!

Also, I have been trying to find a service type work that my youth groups could do and also have fun with. Although we do other things to help people out, we wanted something permanent that we could tend to every week. We now meet at the Humane Society and clean and play and feed and most of all love the animals! We have taken some of the animals to the local nursing home, to the fair and to every event in our area where people can meet the animals and fall in love. It is a lot of fun and we are loving all of God's creatures this way!

God Bless!

 

[TugOwar]

Hey thats a fantastic idea! Sounds like very good lessons for the kids to learn while helping others and raising money for future ventures as well.

Does all the money raised by the youth stay with that ministry? What about getting the kids involved (depending on their ages) in how the money they earn is managed according to Gods Word? Money management lessons. I wish someone had taught me when I was a kid.

Heres an idea. What about a small organic garden? No pesticides or man made fertilizer, then sell the vegetables as a fund raiser. The down side I guess is that a garden is really a daily responsibility.

Don't mind me sister, just throwing out ideas.

 

[jeffs_girl_2004]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I was involved in a thing where we went to Mexico and helped clean up a church and that was a lot of fun. We did not make any money off of it but we sure learned a lot. I think the whole trip humbled us all. We did however raise money by a yardsale and doing work for people around the town like cleaning, raking leaves, mowing yards and things like that.

 

[vrunca]

Those are some great ideas!!! I like the organic garden idea thanx! In the fall, we also hold a homeless weekend...but ours is a little different from others. I welcome the kids into the fellowship hall, one at a time and give them rolls that they have to play for the weekend. So...they may be pregnant, already have children, need a wheelchair, blind, deaf or just an outcast. They have propts to use according to their roll. And a lot goes along with it, if they are an alchoholic, they must keep their bottle full (of juice of course) and all of the local businesses are involved, so a lot of times some of the youth are arrested, the sherrif is wonderful about that!

They also have to try to find a job...in our very small town, but all of the businesses are expecting them, so they might get a job, for 10 hours a week or they may be kicked out! They have to see a doctor and get prescriptions for whatever they need, so our local dr. and pharmacist work with us on that. They have to apply for financial aid and they do all of this while playing their rolls out. They are given clothes to wear from the local good will and they have to follow through with everything, or go home. Our local appliance store drops off about 30 big boxes for their sleeping pleasure! But what is really neat is that the kids have to go around town and beg for money...they explain what they are doing and the money all goes to a local homeless shelter. It is an awesome experience for the kids and they really get hands on experience and an opportunity to give of themselves...we usually raise about $600.00!

God Bless!