This past weekend, many Marion County residents participated in the Mennonite Central Committee sale in Hutchinson. For some at Goessel’s Bethesda Home, health issues prevented them from participating in the sale in person even after decades of being involved in the beloved Mennonite annual tradition. But they decided not to let that stop them from being involved in raising money for the MCC organization.
According to Bethesda Home Director of Life Enrichment Ariel Kraus, the facility decided to help residents participate in a unique way by hosting a mini market sale of their own to help contribute to the sale.
She said, “The Life Enrichment Department has done a small fundraiser for MCC most years, typically just for staff and residents. This is the first time we have ever done a fundraiser of this size and included the community. The idea for doing a mini MCC sale came from one of our employees, Denise Woelk, in an effort to make it possible for people who no longer can attend the sale in Hutchinson to continue to participate somehow.”
Kraus explained that many of the residents are passionate about giving, especially to MCC, and enjoy continuing to do that even in their later years.
“All of the items sold at our Mini MCC Market were donated by staff, residents and members of the community. We sold zwiebach, cookies, pie, plants, homemade apple butter, embroidered tea towels and pillowcases, pot holders, quilted wall hanging, a 50th-anniversary print all in Low German and many other items,” said Kraus.
After this year’s first trial run, the group has even more ideas for next year including how to get the in-house residents more involved in making or baking things for the sale.
“We are excited to make this an annual event,” said Kraus.
The residents enjoyed being involved and participated in various ways from buying items donated to making and donating items.
One duplex resident (who wished to not be named) was already making zwiebach to take to the church to be sold at the MCC Sale in Hutchinson, so she made some extra to be sold at Bethesda’s sale. The duplexes are the independent living duplexes on Bethesda’s campus.
Another duplex resident, Norma Graber, donated molasses cookies and sugar cookies with orange juice frosting. Graber chose to make the molasses cookies because they are a popular favorite among residents at Bethesda. She calls the sugar cookies with orange juice “healthy cookies” to her grandchildren because they have orange juice in them. Graber said she got the recipe for the sugar cookies with orange juice frosting from Floris Miller, wife of the former owner of the mortuary in Goessel, who have since both passed away.
Graber has been volunteering for the MCC Sale for around 60 years. This year she made zwiebach, served vereneke and watched several of the auctions. She particularly enjoys watching the quilt auction and car auction.
Graber said, “It’s always very exciting when some of those cars get up to $20,000.”
Duplex resident Dennis Duerksen also contributed items to the sale.
“I enjoy making things out of wood, so I decided to make a couple pen, pencil, and notebook holders for people to use on their desks to sell at Bethesda’s MCC sale,” said Duerksen.
Kraus said that one of the in-house residents embroidered a lovely quilt that was pieced and hand quilted by her daughter that was auctioned off at the quilt auction during the MCC Sale.
“There were two quilts that were auctioned off at the MCC Sale with connections to Bethesda Home. There are probably more quilts that have connections to us, but there are the two I’m aware of. In the past, our residents have tied quilts, packed hygiene kits and sorted first aid supplies for MCC that were sent to places like Ukraine, and other areas in need,” said Kraus.
The Bethesda Home Mini MCC Market raised a total of $853.73. All donations will go to Mennonite Central Committee to be added to the total raised for the MCC Sale.
