Having a birthday mission in lieu of gifts is a meaningful way to support a cause that’s near and dear to your heart – and we’re here for it. On September 23rd, just a few days out from her 33rd birthday, Steph announced on her personal Facebook page that she wanted to celebrate by giving back to families facing hunger in her hometown. Steph shared that she’d personally be donating 33 jars of peanut butter to Sheboygan County Food Bank and invited her friends to help fulfill her wish of collecting 300 jars by October 8th. Hoping to make it easier for friends and family members to join in, people could send over money to her Venmo account so she could use the money to buy jars from local grocery stores and make orders on Amazon.
In a matter of days, Steph’s entryway started filling up with Amazon boxes and she began constructing peanut butter towers around her house. She shared photos of these behind-the-scenes moments every few days on Facebook to keep her friends up-to-date, noting the tallied number of jars and tagging and thanking family and friends for donating.
In a little over two weeks, Steph’s birthday mission was not only met – it was crushed. She rallied those around her to help her gather 455 total jars. (In food bank language, this equates to three shopping carts holding 510 pounds of peanut butter!)
Now that I’m a stay-at-home-mom, I have more flexibility in my schedule to do things like this that make my heart happy. It’s so important to me to be an example for my girls like my mom was to me. Learning that so many families in Sheboygan are in need of healthy, nutritious food lit a fire in me to be a part of the Sheboygan County Food Bank’s mission even if only in a small way. Together, we can make a difference! – Steph
We’re grateful for Steph’s thoughtfulness and appreciate all donations while we’re serving more of our neighbors who are struggling with the effects of inflation. If you’re interested in having your own birthday mission that supports families in need of food, check out our Host a Food Drive website page for our current most needed items and a checklist to help you run a successful food drive.
