Mulch Fundraiser Leads to Lives Changed

Mulch Fundraiser Leads to Lives Changed

Mulch can be used to make landscaping more attractive, retain soil moisture, and suppress weed growth, but did you know that mulch is helping to transform the lives of young people in Henry County? Young Life of Henry County is using a mulch fundraiser through Pro Green to help area students raise money to attend Young Life camp this summer.

Young Life camp offers kids life-changing opportunities to learn and grow, along with having fun with friends and meeting new people.  The cost, however, may prevent some kids from attending. Katie Kinnaird, director for Young Life of Henry County, and the team of committee members for Young Life are frequently looking for ways to raise funds so that each student has the opportunity to go to camp.

Katie thought about using mulch as a fundraiser because it’s something people need already. Through Duke Hamm of Focal Point Business Coaching, Katie connected with James Hamilton, owner of Pro Green. Initially, Pro Green would pay for the mulch and allow Young Life to buy it at cost and re-sell it. Over time, James decided he wanted to make a bigger contribution to Young Life and cover the full cost of the mulch as well. The result has been one of Young Life’s most successful fundraisers.

“By far this is the fundraiser that allows the most kids to raise the most money,” Katie noted. “There are some kids who are only able to go to camp because mulch is so successful for them.”

For James Hamilton and Pro Green, the fundraiser is a way to demonstrate to area young people and to the community how much they care.

“These types of partnerships are important to us because we want to help out and give back to the local community, especially something that directly affects the youth of the community,” James shared. “There are a lot of good causes out there, but I think that affecting the youth is probably the most important thing we could do.”

Last year alone, Young Life students and leaders raised $6,000 using the mulch. This allowed double the number of kids to attend camp.

Pro Green received several letters from campers following their Young Life camp experience including this one:

Thank you so much for making this week possible. I connected to God in ways I didn’t think were possible until this week. My life has been kind of off track recently, and Young Life really helped me find my path. I was struggling in my faith and now I know that I can look to God. My life has been changed in ways unimaginable because of you, and I just wanted to thank you for blessing my life in this way.

Young Life is more than a camp experience, it is an organization that supports youth in grades 7-12. Young Life provides a safe place for kids to gather and be accepted for who they are at regular meetings.

“Beyond the meetings, we give kids friendships with adult mentors who spend time with them, support them, and encourage them,” Katie expressed. “We are a faith-based organization, so our mission is to introduce kids to Jesus Christ, but we firmly believe that every kid deserves to be loved and accepted and have a friendship with a caring adult regardless of their response to our faith message.”

Ordering mulch through Young Life is simple, and Pro Green purchases the mulch for them so that 100% of the proceeds go to the kids and leaders going to camp.

  1. Find a youth or Young Life leader who is going to camp this summer. If you do not know anyone, reach out to Katie Kinnaird at hcyl@gmail.com and she will connect you with a student who is selling mulch.
  2. Decide how much mulch you need. Pro Green’s lawn care specialists note that 15 bags of hardware store mulch is equal to a yard of the higher-quality mulch available through Pro Green.
  3. Pay Young Life directly for the mulch.
  4. To support social-distancing, Pro Green would prefer to deliver the mulch to your home for a separate nominal fee. Simply call Pro Green at 765-836-4866.
  5. If you prefer to pick up your mulch, you will need to call Pro Green at 765-836-4866 to make an appointment. Pro Green’s location is 3878 N. Prairie Rd., New Castle, which is visible from State Road 3 between New Castle and Muncie.
  6. Spread your mulch and enjoy your beautiful lawn knowing you’ve made a difference in the lives of Henry County youth.

For more information about Henry County Young Life, click here.



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