Sign up for the 11th annual Homemade Sweet Treats: CandyLand of Giving edition
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE OBSERVER
EAST ALABAMA — Donate sweet treats for community relief. The deadline to sign up to donate a treat for the 11th Annual Homemade Sweet Treats: Candy Land of Giving Edition Silent Cake Auction and Dessert Buffet closes on Nov. 1 and can be done at www.hmstcharity.com/hmstsponsor. The event itself will be on Dec. 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Hodges Vineyards & Winery.
“Homemade Sweet Treats is a charity event,” said founder and organizer JoAnn Ceasar. “The event is hosted by Taste of Charity, which is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing food insecurity awareness and relief to East Alabama. This holiday fundraiser will feature homemade holiday dessert favorites. And [different desserts] will be featured in a dessert competition and a buffet, the guests will be able to eat [and] partake in all of the desserts.
“Our newest addition is the silent auction option, which will allow guests to bid on their favorite treats,” she said. “The dessert with the highest bid — that person will be crowned the People’s Choice Award — because those are the ones that have [raised] the highest amount for fundraising. One hundred percent of all donations and sponsorships go directly to the East Alabama Food Insecurity Relief, [with] the proceeds [going] to the Food Bank of East Alabama.
Ceasar said she was inspired to start the event in her home with a small gathering of friends and family, and over the past decade, the event has grown to a community gathering.
“I just encouraged everyone to bring canned goods, and we ate homemade desserts,” she said. “People brought some store-bought desserts — which I kind of focused in on the homemade part later — but we had a homemade dessert competition, and it just grew so much, and people wanted it to be a little bit bigger. So we expanded it for the community. And so the second year, we ended up having it at the Hilton in Auburn, to allow the community to come out. And so it’s just grown so much since then. So we started off with about 115 cans that were donated at the first event. I’m still blessed to say that was amazing for about 10 people. It grew over the years — we have donated nearly 15,000 pounds of food.”
While watching this event grow, Ceasar said she is surprised and excited about the growth that has cultivated large donations to feed those in need.
“This started in my home,” she said. “I didn’t expect for it to grow to be what it is today, and how much impact it has made in the world. Food insecurity is a global issue; over 30% of people deal with food insecurity. It can be overwhelming, but thinking about what I can do on my own in the community has been astounding. I know I can’t do it alone, so it’s been breathtaking to see the community come together.”
Ceasar said she wants to encourage locals to either donate a baked good or participate in the bake sale. For more information, visit www.hmstcharity.com.
“Food insecurity affects more families than people realize, and so right here in our own neighborhoods, for me, it is personal,” she said. “People choose between bills and a meal, especially during the holidays. By joining our efforts at a Taste of Charity Homeade Sweet Treats, people can be a part of a movement. They can donate a dessert, they can donate canned goods, they can spread the word and let other people know and especially they can be a sweetie and feed the needy.”
