Making donor contacts is all about being in the right place at the right time. This summer I decided it was time to take the St. Nicholas Project to the Champlain Valley Fair. This is the largest summer fair in Vermont receiving about 15,000 visitors over a 10-day period. I wanted to get the word out to as many people as possible about the good works taking place at the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children. So I decided, let's just try it. And do you know what? it worked.
Over our 5-day stay, hundreds of people passed by our information booth. Many asked questions, received information, told us stories about family members or friends of Kurn Hattin and purchased our T-shirts and cookbooks. And I talked a lot about the Kurn Hattin mission. What pleased me the most was when native Vermonters told me that they had lived in Vermont their whole life and had never even heard of this amazing children's home until now. That was my goal. Just spread the word!
We added many new names to our mailing list and made some great contacts with people from all over the state.
But I am going to tell you the truth. It was hard work for an introvert like me. But if you believe in your charity's mission, God gives you the strength to get out of your comfort zone, especially in talking with strangers. With each encounter I had only a few seconds to catch the attention of somebody passing by the booth without sounding like an obnoxious used car salesman! It takes practice to be able to gauge a person's body language and eye contact in a few seconds to know if a conversation is going to develop or if just a smile will be enough for that harried fair-goer, too tired from rides and cotton candy, to engage in small talk.
Would I ever do it again? You bet! We're already planning on next year's trip and several people have already asked me if they can volunteer to help me at the booth. And that's what I call success! Please come and visit us at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Jct, Vermont in 2020.
Please make your donation today to help the boys and girls at the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, by making a donation on the Donate tab above. I can't do this by myself, but with you we can do something beautiful for God.