It's a great time to be at Gardner Village. Especially if you want to experience what it feels like to come together to help others.
“July has become our month of giving," said Angie Gerdes, Gardner Village co-owner. "It's traditionally a slower season for retail, so we decided several years ago to use this time wisely in the service of others."
Guess what?! You can get in on the giving action. There are two upcoming charitable opportunities. Neither requires much time, but both have big returns. Hope you’ll join us!
1. Gardner Village Blood Drive for the American Red Cross
When: July 29, 2025 from 10AM to 4PM
Where: The Gathering Place at Gardner Village
Click here to sign up.
Did you know one pint of blood can save up to four people? That’s a mighty way to spend less than an hour of time!
“Ever since I was 18, I’ve given blood regularly,” Angie said. “There’s always a need, and it’s something I can do quickly that will really change someone’s life. It’s such a pleasure to donate with our Gardner Village community!”
Have an hour to spare? We’d love to see you at this year’s blood drive! Spots are limited, so you’ll want to sign up quickly.
When: July 18-19, 2025
Where: The Gathering Place at Gardner Village
Sign up to volunteer here. Donate to support this cause here.
For five years now, Gardner Village has hosted a meal packing event to support Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). Our friends, Bob and Maureen Evans, started this legacy for us five years before that. Now, a decade later, it’s a highlight of the Gardner Village year. It's a great time to come together as a community with our customers, employees and local business owners to do something good!
Just Two Hours Is All It Takes To Make a BIG Difference
Here’s a staggering and sobering fact: 6,200 children around the world die from hunger-related causes every day.
“I can’t help but think… what would I do if I couldn’t feed my kids?” Angie said, getting choked up. “It would be so horrendous… I can’t think about it without crying.”
It IS horrendous! This is where FMSC is so impactful. Nutrition-rich food is packed and reaches children within weeks. Meals go to 80 different countries around the globe, making a direct impact in places it’s so desperately needed.
Three Ways You Can Help
- VOLUNTEER: This year, we’ve signed up to fill not one but TWO semitrucks full of food. That’s 430,000 meals, which requires 1,400 volunteers. We need YOUR help! We’re still nearly 400 people away from reaching our goal. Will you and your family and friends join us? Sign up for a two-hour session and help feed thousands!
- DONATE & FUND RAISE: Just $0.29 a day—less than a can of soda—is enough to feed a balanced, nutritious meal. We set a goal to raise $125,000 in donations and still need $50,000 to get us there. You can help with a tax-deductible donation to this wonderful non-profit organization. While we’ve made a big impact, we still have quite a bit to go. Please, share this with your friends and family and see what kind of reach we can create.
- SPONSORSHIP: Partner with us as a sponsor and help mothers and fathers around the world give their children much-needed nutriment. Reach out to Angie directly (angie@gardnervillage.com) for more information.
More About FMSC
- Much science went into creating these meals. It’s an ideal blend of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, and vitamins.
- Food goes to orphanages and care points around the globe. We even get told exactly where our shipments get delivered.
- Missionaries pay for the freight to ship the food and are also the ones who deliver the meals.
- This is a Christian, non-profit organization, so prayers are said over every container and palette of food. That said, you don’t need to be a Christian to pack.
- Children are welcome to come help pack meals. There are educational videos playing and speakers sharing stories. It’s an educational, memorable experience that can have a profound impact on our kids here.
“I’ll never forget when a friend of mine and her son joined us one year to pack,” Angie recalled. “He seemed a little cynical about spending his time this way. It was so touching to see his attitude completely shift as the day went on. Not only is this experience good for the children receiving the meals, it’s also good for the kids here to have such an impactful experience.”
FMSC packs a million meals every day! All come exclusively from donations and free labor. It’s a volunteer-driven effort by members of the community. Not government, just people who desire to help at a time the world needs just that. It’s generous Americans providing food for other countries. As you come together to celebrate with your loved ones this Fourth of July weekend, we hope you’ll take a minute to share this opportunity. We WILL reach our goal of 400 more volunteers and $50,000 more in donations. We simply have to! Lives depend on it.
We hope to see you at one or both of these special events soon. In the meantime, we wish you and yours a safe, happy Fourth of July!
Thursday Jul 3 2025
It's a great time to be at Gardner Village. Especially if you want to experience what it feels like to come together to help others.
“July has become our month of giving," said Angie Gerdes, Gardner Village co-owner. "It's traditionally a slower season for retail, so we decided several years ago to use this time wisely in the service of others."
Guess what?! You can get in on the giving action. There are two upcoming charitable opportunities. Neither requires much time, but both have big returns. Hope you’ll join us!
1. Gardner Village Blood Drive for the American Red Cross
When: July 29, 2025 from 10AM to 4PM
Where: The Gathering Place at Gardner Village
Click here to sign up.
Did you know one pint of blood can save up to four people? That’s a mighty way to spend less than an hour of time!
Have an hour to spare? We’d love to see you at this year’s blood drive! Spots are limited, so you’ll want to sign up quickly.
2. Feed My Starving Children
When: July 18-19, 2025
Where: The Gathering Place at Gardner Village
Sign up to volunteer here. Donate to support this cause here.
For five years now, Gardner Village has hosted a meal packing event to support Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). Our friends, Bob and Maureen Evans, started this legacy for us five years before that. Now, a decade later, it’s a highlight of the Gardner Village year. It's a great time to come together as a community with our customers, employees and local business owners to do something good!
Just Two Hours Is All It Takes To Make a BIG Difference
Here’s a staggering and sobering fact: 6,200 children around the world die from hunger-related causes every day.
It IS horrendous! This is where FMSC is so impactful. Nutrition-rich food is packed and reaches children within weeks. Meals go to 80 different countries around the globe, making a direct impact in places it’s so desperately needed.
Three Ways You Can Help
More About FMSC
FMSC packs a million meals every day! All come exclusively from donations and free labor. It’s a volunteer-driven effort by members of the community. Not government, just people who desire to help at a time the world needs just that. It’s generous Americans providing food for other countries. As you come together to celebrate with your loved ones this Fourth of July weekend, we hope you’ll take a minute to share this opportunity. We WILL reach our goal of 400 more volunteers and $50,000 more in donations. We simply have to! Lives depend on it.
We hope to see you at one or both of these special events soon. In the meantime, we wish you and yours a safe, happy Fourth of July!