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.

Squish Designs spreads the word

A special thanks to Nicki Laycoax and Squish Designs for helping us Bite Back! Not only has she been tweeting the cause of Indy’s 1,500 homeless kids, she’s created the official Twitter cause “twibbon“. Which is pretty cool since before I met Nicki, I didn’t know that was possible. See? That’s why Squish Designs can say that they truly develop your business or organization – everything social media from blogs to Twitter to facebook.

And speaking of facebook, due to the diligent promotion from Nicki and Squish (as well as our campaign spokesperson, Mel McMahon, and our own social media intern Deb) we’ve got 450 fans from here to Texas and back! Way to Bite Back!

Mel McMahon Joins the Fight Against Homelessness

Mel McMahon will be the official spokesperson for The Salvation Army's Homelessness Bites Campaign.

The Salvation Army is pleased to introduce Mel McMahon as the official spokesperson for our Homelessness Bites campaign.  Mel will lend her on-air talents to one of The Salvation Army’s largest programs in Central Indiana.

Mel is best known for her work on FOX 59, WIBC, and HANK FM.  A graduate from Indiana University, Mel is currently pursuing her MBA with a concentration in Public Affairs Management.  “My main goal as spokesperson is awareness.  It’s women and children, moms and dads, who are being affected by homelessness, not just the people we may see on the street or around the Circle,” said Mel.

Over 30% of the homeless in Indianapolis are single moms with two or more children under 10 years old. The funds raised through Homelessness Bites 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.

One of Mel’s first official appearances will be at the 6th annual Apple Fest on Monument Circle.  The annual lunchtime event supports the Homelessness Bites campaign and features, live music, hot apple cobbler, and lunch items from Applebee’s Restaurant.  The event will be held on Thursday October 1, from 10:30 AM until 1:30 PM.  For more information about Apple Fest, Homelessness Bites, and Mel McMahon, visit HomelessnessBites.org.

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.