Apple Fest – the event that keeps on giving

I had a wonderful revelation this morning, so I thought I’d share with you, our loyal followers. Remember that travel cup that the Dunkin’ Donuts mascot handed you at Apple Fest? Did you look inside? If not, you should. There was a coupon in side for a FREE item with a purchase.

Now, I knew about this coupon. In fact, I worked with Dunkin’ to get the lovelies in there. I even went to the effort to add the coupon to the coupon clip on my fridge! So, when my husband noticed the coupon this morning and asked to stop by on the way in to work, I was happy to oblige with a swing through their convenient drive thru.

Friends, let me tell you, their new pumpkin muffin is AMAZING! It’s like Fall in a wee cupcake wrapper! Couple that with a hot cocoa and you’re set for a great Friday morning. Trust me on this one.

So, I encourage you to find that coupon and use it. Let Dunkin’ know how much you appreciate their support of The Salvation Army and our Homelessness Bites campaign. Your tummy will thank you!

Apple Fest raises over $9,200 – way to Bite Back!

Thanks to the hundreds of you who made it down to Apple Fest yesterday. The numbers are in and Apple Fest brought in over $9,200 this year! It takes every last person who came out to volunteer or put your lunch dollars to work, so thanks for caring about our mission…and then doing something about it.

We want to be sure to thank our event sponsors. Without the generosity of partners like ours, we wouldn’t have the ability to host an event for you to be a part of. So, thanks to our campaign sponsor – Two Men and a Truck, lunch sponsor – Applebee’s, apple cobbler sponsor – GFS Marketplace, apple sponsor – Adrian Orchards, media partners – WIBC 93/ESPN The Fan 1070/B105.7/HANK 97.1, campaign spokesperson, Mel McMahon, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The American Legion, Dunkin’ Donuts, Comedysportz, Squish Designs, Indy Moms Like Me, the Indiana Pacers and their Fan Van, the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders, and folks from each of our Salvation Army’s nearby locations. And thanks to Bandwagon for setting the mood with some great tunes that certainly called people from blocks away!

So, thanks for supporting Homelessness Bites and for donating coats to Bob Gregory’s Coats for Kids. Stay tuned to find out how much we raised for programs at our women’s and children’s shelter.

$100 to reach hundreds

What if you could set up shop on Monument Circle for an afternoon? How much would that kind of exposure be worth to your business or organization? That’s hundreds of potential customers, clients or referrals. Would it be worth $100 and a couple of hours of your time?

On Thursday, October 1 The Salvation Army will take another bite out of homelessness by inviting those who live and do business downtown to Eat in the Street for homeless kids. And we’d like you to join us.

Booth space is only $100 for businesses ($50 for non-profits) and the funds raised at this event – through sponsorships and lunch – will be used to offer housing assistance, resources and support to moms and children find themselves homeless due to a financial struggles and domestic violence. Your donation will reserve a booth for you to showcase your items or services, and you will keep any profits from the day.

In addition to raising funds to help homeless kids, we hope to use this event to give your business/organization a little extra promotion. The event will be promoted on the Emmis stations and on WTHR channel 13 for the two weeks leading up to the event. Apple Fest will also be featured on Emmis’ websites with a link to our event site, HomelessnessBites.org, which will include logos, contact information and web links for all of our sponsors. We are also working with television, web and print media partners to promote the event. Apple Fest is a great opportunity to reach potential customers while giving back to the community.

Space is available on a first come, first serve basis through September 25. Give Kristen a call at 224-1019.

Apple Fest – coming to a station near you!

Not familiar with Apple Fest? Well, here’s the cause – This year 1,500 kids will eat their meals and spend their nights on the streets of Indy. Come out to Monument Circle on October 1 from 10:30am – 1:30pm and Eat in the Street for homeless kids at Apple Fest.

The details for this year’s 6th annual event are coming together. We’re pleased to announce our media partner for this year’s event – Emmis Communications. Now I don’t mention one specific station, because all four of Emmis’ stations will be promoting Apple Fest together. We’re thrilled to be working with the folks from WIBC 93.1fm, ESPN 1070 The Fan, 91.7 HANK fm and B105.7fm! Listen for promotions to start mid-September on-air and via the web.

And, of course, we couldn’t have an event without our food sponsor. Applebee’s is on board to once again bring their tasty, freshly grilled sandwiches and ice cold lemonade to downtown lunchgoers. They generously donate all of their items so we can turn your lunch dollars into a fresh start for homeless moms and their kids.

We’d love it if you’d come out and enjoy lunch for a good cause. And if you want to help us end homelessness in Indy, give Kristen a call at 224-1019 to sponsor a booth. For just $100 ($50 for non-profits) you can show off your wares or services and support our work to give these moms and kids a fresh start.