Feeding Love with Love

I love oh so much that I was invited to be part of the Target inner circle earlier this year.  Here is why.

Target is my second home and I am honored to have joined such a talented group of people.  That in itself is. amazing.

But what is even more incredible to me, and one of the reasons Target is a brand that I am honored to partner with, is because of their constant community outreach and desire to give back.  Not only do they do things locally, a few weeks ago they also launched their new Feed USA products and initiative.  Have you heard?  Have you seen?  Crazy cute stuff here folks.  And as much as I adore a great set of canisters and darling bins and baskets, bottom line is that this collection is providing meals to children and families across America.  If you check out the number on the specific Feed product, you will notice how many meals will be sponsored by that purchase.  Love.

Target also chatted it up with some of their Inner Circle members, and challenged us to give back locally as well.  Feeling inspired by their Feed initiative, the boys and I used the fantastic canisters as part of a little neighborhood treat stand.

Because I was involving the kiddos, we decided to keep it really simple with "Treats for Charity."

First, this was fun because the kids and I were able to spend an afternoon baking together.  We baked blueberry muffins, brownies and cookies.  Lots of cookies.  Nothing fancy, straight from the box stuff here folks.  This girl wasn't made for the kitchen and it was a miracle they didn't end up being jack-hammered from the baking pan {due to repeat customers, I am guessing they weren't half bad}.  We also made up a few gallons of lemonade.

The concept was to exchange the treats for a donation to the local food pantry.  Individuals could either purchase a snack and/or lemonade, or bring a non perishable food item to donate.

We brought our backyard dining table out front, and gathered some items from around the home to draw attention to the treat stand.  This included some plants, balloons, trays, etc...  We also used our menu planning chalkboard to create a simple little menu for any individuals walking by and a large woven basket to collect the food items that were donated.

We received an extremely generous first customer who happened to be driving by as we were setting up.  It got the boys geared up for the day and they even did a wonderful job spreading the word throughout our neighborhood and recruiting customers.  The boys were planning on running the stand for a few hours, and you can imagine the mushy gushy super proud mommy heart I had when I said it was time to take it down and they wanted to do it for longer.  So they did.  They were really excited and feeling great about the outcome of their time and what it stood for. 

We have held lemonade stands like this before, just for the fun of it, and they have never done as well or have been as successful as this one.  It wasn't about the treats or the lemonade, it was about the cause.  People were excited to see the kiddos involved and what it stood for, and really came through so the boys could make a wonderful contribution to our food pantry.  We are so grateful for that, and it was really a simple and fun experience, something anyone could easily do to make an impact.  One thing the boys thought was extra neat, is that the food pantry can really make their donation stretch.  A single dollar can purchase multiple meals, just how many will always vary by location, but it is an interesting fact worth checking into.

It is important for our family to always find ways to give back.  And I rarely talk about it or blog about it because I believe that it's something you do just because it is the right thing.  But I also believe in sharing simple little stories and solutions like this, to help inspire at least one more person to do something similar.  Our investment was simple, a few ingredients to bake and some lemonade mix, plus our time and we were able to make an impact. 

Target does it again!  Products that are both darling yet inspiring, you can check out the entire collection here.  Do you have a fav?  Isn't that "Feed Love with Love" pillow superfab?  And just as Target challenged us, I am challenging you.  You in?

As a member of the Target Inner Circle, I was provided Target products from their FEED USA line, however, all ideas, opinions and lack of baking abilities are my own.