Ava is 10 years old and has a brother, who was adopted out of foster care. She experienced first hand how important it is to support families who foster. She remembers the kindness and generosity of her church family when her brother was welcomed into their home. Ava has a heart to give back and thought of organizing a fundraiser. With a few ideas from her mom, she decided to bake cookies to sell, so that people could hear about foster care and give to PS I Love You Ministries.
She loves baking cookies and knew she could bake a lot and sell them to people. Ava was very particular about following the recipe and doing it all by herself. Mom did provide some assistance with the oven ;) Ava baked dozens of cookies: M&M cookies, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin, then she enjoyed packing them in little bags to make them cute.
Ava designed a box for the cookies and decorated a poster board to advertise and educate buyers about PS I Love You. Then she did what any great entrepreneur would… hired a really great salesperson, Dad! Her father took the cookies to work and shared his daughter’s dream with his coworkers. It’s no surprise that everyone was inspired by her idea and incredible servant’s heart. The M&M cookies were the first to sell out, but word spread and donations started coming in, people were giving above and beyond her modest sales price.
In January, Ava’s family came to PS I Love You to give 100% of the proceeds from her cookie sale. They met with staff and enjoyed a tour of the Resource Center. Ava recalls that as she walked through the boutique she thought about the children and how loved they would feel to pick out what they needed. She imagined how thankful and excited they must be when they walk into PS I Love You.
The tour was a special experience for the whole family as well. Mom, dad, sister, and brother joined her that day. Her mom, Jessica, was impressed by how organized it was, being much larger than she anticipated. She enjoyed walking from one area to another seeing how the rooms were set up for different ages and genders. They could all tell from the time with the staff that these were godly women, who had such passion for foster children.
Ava raised $350 for children in foster care. She is just 10 years old. She didn’t have a job or excess funds, just a servant's heart and some baking ingredients. Like Ava, you might not have the ability to write a check for $350, but you probably have flour and sugar in the pantry. What can you do with what you already have that will honor God and bless others?
