Avon Bakery Donates Tip Jar Money to Kids in Uganda
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- Written by BECKY MCKEOWN
AVON — Sweet Arts Bakery doesn’t just feed locals coffee and sweet treats— this December, the bakery donated the contents of its tip jar to kids in Kampala, Uganda.
Bakery owner Ruth Ann Lewis decided to donate the tip jar money after talking to her friend Jesse Sprinkle, who has traveled to Uganda several times with Bloomfield’s Ugandan Water Project.
“What I really liked was seeing people come in and look at the box and go ‘Oh, what’s this?’” said Lewis. “It’s giving people an opportunity to do a small thing to help. It’s not a big deal to toss your change in there, but you know it’s making a difference.”
The bakery, which opened about a week before Thanksgiving, ended up raising about $25 in tip money, but Lewis said Sprinkle and several of his contacts rose over $400.
Lewis said it takes about $1 to feed a healthy meal to one child in Kampala. The money Sweet Arts Bakery and Sprinkle raised went to feed around 250 children. Since they raised extra, the kids also received Christmas presents and bottles of Coca-Cola as a treat.
Lewis, who has contributed to several other service projects throughout her life, plans to keep helping the kids in Uganda by spreading the word about the Ugandan Water Project.
On Jan.26, the bakery, located at 57 Genesee St. in Avon, will host an event called “An Evening with the Ugandan Water Project,” which features food and music, along with an opportunity to talk with those involved with the project. The event runs from 7-9 p.m.
“There are several students that are sophomores in Avon that are interested in going to Uganda and doing some sort of humanitarian thing for their senior trip in 2014,” said Lewis. “There are also several kids outside that group who are interested in going somewhere to help people, as well. We wanted to get the word out about the Water Project and also have a place where the kids could come and ask questions and kind of structure their trip.”
To find more information about the Ugandan Water Project, visit http://ugandanwaterproject.com, or visit the bakery to find out how to help the project as well as other charity organizations.
“As we go along, we’re hoping to feature different charities, whether it’s local or international,” said Lewis. “We want to give people a chance to go ‘Oh, wait a minute, there’s something I can do.’”
