United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County will partner with local eatery Sugar Love Bakery and Café to launch a month-long fundraiser called “Spread Sugar Love.”
Every Saturday in October, customers can donate to support United Way partner agency Assistance and Resources Ministries, or ARM.
Sugar Love will also give away free cookies throughout October as part of the campaign. Customers can post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using the hashtags #SpreadSugarLove and #LiveUnited and show their cashier to get their free cookies. The social media posts must be dated on the same day, and customers are limited to one free cookie per day.
“I am beyond thrilled, as a faith-based company, to partner with United Way to support such a great organization as ARM,” said Sugar Love Owner/Founder Shonna Peters. She hopes the campaign will be so successful that she might be able to make it a recurring event, supporting a different United Way partner each time.
“Because God has been so good to me,” Peters said, “I want to be able to extend the same grace towards others in our community.”
ARM, an organization that provides basic emergency necessities to those in need throughout Carter County, is one of nine nonprofit agencies with local services that United Way ECC supports. Each of these agencies rely upon the funds raised during the annual United Way ECC campaign, which kicked off earlier in September.
Local efforts like “Spread Sugar Love” are key to reaching the campaign’s goal of $125,000, according to Josh McKinney, community impact coordinator for United Way ECC.
“We’re trying to inspire the community to rally around our partners,” McKinney said. “The work that they are doing, collectively, is vital to so many of our families. It really takes a community united, led by stakeholders like Shonna, to make real and lasting change.”
McKinney added that he would love to partner with other local businesses to run similar fundraisers and campaigns.
Local partnerships like “Spread Sugar Love” drive customers to stay local with their money, Peters believes. “Our vision is to continue to raise awareness of the importance to shop local and support our local small businesses,” she said.
The Sugar Love bakery is open Monday through Saturday from 7 AM to 7 PM. The café is open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 5 PM, and on Saturday from 8 AM to 2 PM. Both are housed within the old Bonnie Kate Theatre at 115 South Sycamore Street. They take reservations and also offer catering. For more information, call (423) 297-1051 or visit their website at www.sugarlovebakeryandcafe.com.
For more information about United Way ECC, contact Josh McKinney at director@uwayecc.org or (423) 543-6975. To give toward the campaign, visit United Way’s website at www.uwayecc.org.