Dani (14), Max (5), Alex (12), and Gabe (10). – Gabe is getting closer to reaching his goal of selling 1,000 boxes! See how you can help him at the bottom of the blog.
The Value of Selling Candy
Not only is selling candy fun, but Candy Sellers get some sweet benefits from participating! The sale is a great way for youth to learn values that will help prepare them for the future. Community engagement, goal setting and public speaking are just a few of the skills Candy Sellers will pick up!
Mitzi Widdows, leader of our Camp Fire Group in Issaquah, has seen the kids in her group benefit from these sales and has watched her own children grow through participating in the candy sales.
An “Outstanding” Experience for Kids
When speaking about selling candy, Mitzi puts the focus more on the experience the children get than the rewards they are given in the end. Throughout the years she has watched her own children, whose ages range from 5 to 14, hone in on skills such as sales, change making, inventory management, goal setting, schedule management, progress tracking, and working with the public.
“But the greatest thing they’ve gotten has been the growth in their personal development. Each has learned new lessons this year in the form of interpersonal skills, analysis of one’s own performance, and the pure joy of a total stranger being impressed with one’s abilities.”
At the end of each year, Mitzi and her group set goals for the next year in order that it may be realistic. Each kid that is selling candy learns how to set and keep goals. This helps them to understand how to be held accountable, as well as seeing how hard work pays off. Of course, it’s always great to see them reach their goals!
By participating in the candy sales many children, including Mitzi’s, come out of their shells and can keep up a conversation while selling no matter how introverted they are: “They have become wonderful sales people and they’ve really made the sales pitch their own. When we’re at the stores, they engage with the people buying the candy which has spawned some really fun interactions.”
Thank you so much to Mitzi Widdows and her kids all of the candy-selling love they have to give!
Funds for Fun
The money that is raised through these candy sales allows our organization to continue let children develop these skills as they grow older! Camp Fire allows a safe space where children of all backgrounds can pursue their passions and share their spark with other people, and the money that is collected by candy sales helps to keep that spark going.
Gabe (pictured on the right) is getting closer to reaching his goal of selling 1,000 boxes of candy! He only has around 200 more to go! You can help Gabe reach his goal by attributing your online candy purchase to him. All you have to do is purchase candy online, then we’ll send you an email confirmation that will have a link to our online credit form where you can give Gabe credit!