When cousins Alexis, Madisen, Analya and Isabela were bored one day, they were tasked to look up a fundraiser to adopt and support. Through their search they found No Kid Hungry because they liked the idea of feeding hungry kids in America.

Kids for the Fight was formed in 2018 by Madisen Gregersen, Alexis Gregersen, Analya Ulloa, Isabela Ulloa and Maren Neunfinger.

“We did significantly better than we imagined the first time we asked for donations on a Sunday morning in Los Gatos at the farmers market, and we recognized our capabilities from ourselves and our communities.”

One piece of advice the girls had for beginner hosts, was that “it is important to be knowledgeable about the organization you are supporting and know where the donations are going. People want to know where their money is going, so be knowledgeable and open to having conversations and explaining the mission of the organization.” This can also drive people to want to donate more toward the cause. No Kid Hungry has lots of helpful resources you can print out and have on your table for customers.

The girls have received lots of positive reinforcements from the community over the past three years they have been hosting fundraisers, and it’s what pushes them to continue to fundraise.

“We often hear what we are doing is incredible, and how inspiring it is for other people to see young ladies like us making a difference at such a young age. It’s also amazing to observe how much inspiration we provide to younger children. We are often approached by children who are enthusiastic about donating and learning more about what we do, and our

hope is that we might inspire them to pursue something they are passionate about and learn how to use it to its full potential. Our most memorable and touching story was when a kind gentleman came up to us and put our first $100 bill in our donation jar and walked away. After he shopped at the farmers market, he returned to put another $300 in our jar and explained he was hungry when he was a kid. The story was touching and emotional, but eye-opening for all of us. He thanked us for doing what we were doing and assured us we were making a difference. This not only felt amazing but confirmed we chose the right fundraiser to partner with.”

Sharisse hosted a bake sale for No Kid Hungry because she wanted to find a way to give back to the community, specifically the youth, through sharing her love of baking. Hosting a bake sale for No Kid Hungry was the perfect fit!

Sharisse hosted both a traditional bake sale with the help of her close family and friends, along with a virtual bake sale. The biggest difference between the two events was that for the virtual event she had to rely more heavily on social media, e-mail, and prior communication to get the word out, since they couldn’t just depend on foot traffic.

One of Sharisse’s biggest tips was to, “familiarize yourself with the No Kid Hungry portal and utilize the resources. The portal provides preset e-mails and information. The No Kid Hungry team is super friendly and helpful and always willing to answer questions. And the resources page, to help prep for your bake sale, has everything set up for your success so all you have to do is print and/or e-mail the applicable information.”

Sharisse’s bake tip: “Always add vanilla extract, even if a recipe does not call for it an extra ½ teaspoon or so does not hurt and it always gives treats that “made with love” feel!”

Terri Fontenot, one of our annual bake sale hosts, made this beautiful blackberry pie for her fundraiser. Her biggest tip was to bake a sample of what you are selling and to take good photos. Presentation is important, especially for a virtual fundraiser because so many people shop with their eyes. This is exactly what she did for her fundraiser. “I hosted this bake sale when we, here in Louisiana, were in lockdown, so I was wearing a mask.

I delivered the baked items to homes and left them on the porch. My supporters started calling me the ‘masked baker’”.

Terri believes the best part about hosting a bake sale is that it’s a great way for people to donate who would normally not do so.

One thing we love especially about Terri’s fundraiser is that she also included these cookie decorating kits. What a creative idea!

Katie Ciemiewicz is a teacher and hosted a bake sale for No Kid Hungry through the community service club at her school. Due to nutrition policies at the school for students Katie ended up selling her baked goods to the teachers and staff. Katie planned her bake sale around Halloween so she could keep her bake sale within a theme.

Katie and her helpers, Madelyn and Connor made Oreo Rice Krispie treats, witch hat cookies, pumpkin spice muffins, black cocoa brownies, and little finger foods that were all individually packaged to hand out easily.

To Katie’s surprise, they doubled the funds they raised – even with their bake sale being virtual. Katie had the senior members of her club help with the delivery to the individual schools, classrooms and teachers by putting together the orders based off the order sheets they collected.

Katie’s advice: “Since we did it a little differently given my setting, and particularly during the pandemic, it was important to be both organized and flexible, both in organization of the sale and goods and the making of them—sometimes you just need to go with the flow, take a deep breath and recognize every little bit will help!”

Near the holidays is a great time to host fundraisers, because everyone is looking for ways to give back.  Ahna and Mia host an annual bake sale each winter, this year is going to be their 3^rd year.  Each year they partner up with the Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia who help facilitate their events by giving them supplies, a location and advertising.

Their top-selling item is a hands-on activity: decorating gingerbread houses! They give the guests graham crackers and royal icing to get started.  Then the guests come back up to their table to get decorations like mini marshmallows, candy canes, cookies and other candies to decorate their gingerbread houses. Last year due to Coronavirus precautions they had gingerbread kits they sold at their bake sale.  We love this festive, creative idea they have come up with to make their bake sale stand out.

The girls’ favorite part about hosting the bake sale? Helping other kids make their gingerbread houses while raising money for No Kid Hungry.

Macie hosted a bake sale at an ‘Art in the Park’ vendor fair, which was an event to help support small businesses thrive through the pandemic and get local schools involved by hosting an art contest. The entire event was hosted safely outside and was socially distanced.

Macie ended up having four friends participate by baking and hosting the bake sale with her in the park. “I like asking my friends to help bake to get others involved in giving back. I always try to get as many people involved as possible.”

Macie shared some tips for a successful bake sale. For her social media was essential.

“You want everyone to know you’re having a bake and how they can support it. It is best to cut or bake items in a larger size and individually wrap them. People like items that are familiar to them, so you don’t need to bake fancy items, and items that are easy to pick up and eat or carry with them.”

She also expressed her enthusiasm for baking and helping hungry kids.

“The best part about hosting a bake sale is seeing the difference you get to make! Counting your profits at the end of the day knowing your hard work paid off. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to not have food to eat. I get hangry when I miss a snack. Kids need food to do good at school and activities. This is why I bake!”