Walked by the church on Main today, which is selling pumpkins for PADS. I might - might - have considered buying one - IF there were any sign of an actual PADS recipient manning the stand.

But if the recipients don't care enough to help raise funds they will benefit from, well, they can continue to go on without my 5 bucks (or whatever they charge for their pumpkins! PLEASE tell me it isn't much more than $5!)

I believe there were some PADS clients helping unload the truck on Monday. My child was there as well as a large number of families.

Dins, this is a crazy argument. So, if someone with MDA isn't holding out the coin bucket you won't donate them any money?

No, I've got plenty of reasons I consider sufficient to not donate to PADS. But given the specific situation here, where a certain segment of their patrons have been - rightly or wrongly - accused of imposing costs/burdens on our community, and where at least a portion of their patrons are unemployed, it seems like a win/win.

Give them needed experience/responsibility, while showing the community they are not simply a parasitic blight. And in the evenings, a PADS rep could drive them to that night's shelter (or put them up in their home/church.)

I've got to go with Dins on this one. If they're able bodied and not out looking for a job, then they need to be part work team that puts the benefit together. IMO-It would be a great opportunity to develop their organisational skills.

BTW-Doesn't Jerry Lewis put some of his kids into the telethon broadcast?

It's way more than $5 a pumpkin.

I made the fiscal mistake of buying our pumpkins there last year. When I saw the price of comparably sized pumpkins at Dominick's, I got a little dizzy. There is definitely a donation component to the price.

The "downtown" pumpkin patch was mentioned by my 5 year old this year and I told her I thought we would try someplace different.

quote:

Originally posted by Mamattorney:
It's way more than $5 a pumpkin.

Now someone's gotta bite the bullet for the team, and stop buy to figure out how much support for PADS they are asking.

I wonder - of the folks who buy pumpkins there - how many realize how much of a premium they are paying to support this particular cause. I'm not saying anyone shouldn't support any cause they want. Just curious about the mindset of people other than myself. It is an attractive location. Do folks buying pumpkins there just feel comfortable that they are supporting a christian charity, or do they actually think about the specific charity they are supporting?

Just wondering if the pumpkin stand's success (or lack thereof) is of any use in assessing community support for this program. Or do enough GE people just like going to a Main Street location and don't mind that they are paying 2-3 times what they would pay anywhere else?

I bought them there last year purely out of convenience.

My daughter was taking ballet at Dance, Dance, Dance. We parked around the corner on Hillside where B&W is/will be. We saw the pumpkins and I said: "Let's stop here and get our pumpkins." Easy peasy.

I don't have an exact recollection of what I paid per pumpkin, but I think it was around $15 apiece.

mamattorney, is that a fish taco avatar you have?

Fish taco's remind me of Fan.

Fish taco?

No way! My avatar taco is pure 80/20, or possibly worse if such a thing exists, ground beef.

Fish tacos, while tasty, are way too healthy to be considered for avatar status.

I hope we can help clarify all of the questions about the pumpkin patch. The pumpkins are purchased from Native American farmers (this is the first 'win'). The next 'win' is that all proceeds from the St Mark's patch go directly to PADS, a wonderful organization tht assists the homeless in DuPage county (we would be happy to provide poverty / homeless statistics for DuPage county for anyone interested). For us folks fortunate enough to live in a place like Glen Ellyn, these statistics would / should prove alarming.

As for the price of the pumpkins, they are set to provide much needed funds for the PADS program. We certainly don't have the buying power of an organization like Domic's or Jewel. Regarding the success of the pumpkin patch: last year a second shipment was ordered to meet the demand. This year's shipment is even larger. Great news for a good cause. We hope you can join us in supporting those less fortunate than ourselves.

Brian and Cindy Stepien
St Mark's M&O

BBers...before you start to replicate all the pro- and con- arguments that have already been posted in other threads about the homeless, PADS and vagrants, please stop.

Let's keep this thread focused on pumpkins and where to get them, how to carve them... perhaps a pumpkin pie recipe or two.

Linus, The Great Pumpkin and I thank you. --Ted E.

I know you wanted to pounce on it. So did Ted.

I like pumpkin pie, but don't necessarily fight over it. That being said, and I am not certain if this is breaking Mr. E's request...but are you guys seriously questioning why a church would try to raise money for a program that they run? I'm not certain what makes me shake my head more...asking why a church would raise funds for its mission....or why they would charge a premium to raise those funds.

Recipe

quote:

Originally posted by BStep:
The next 'win' is that all proceeds from the St Mark's patch go directly to PADS, a wonderful organization tht assists the homeless in DuPage county (we would be happy to provide poverty / homeless statistics for DuPage county for anyone interested).

I dunno, Ted. You run the show, but it seems to me that if you are going to allow this opinion to remain up, you ought to allow differing opinions as well.

No, just this part.

quote:

a wonderful organization tht assists the homeless in DuPage county (we would be happy to provide poverty / homeless statistics for DuPage county for anyone interested). For us folks fortunate enough to live in a place like Glen Ellyn, these statistics would / should prove alarming.

quote:

For us folks fortunate enough to live in a place like Glen Ellyn, these statistics would / should prove alarming.

I tell you what's alarming, seeing our downtown invaded by the "less fortunate" 2 days a week because they are invited into our town.

I know this has been said ad infinum, but the levels of naviete (sp?) is just a joke.