A Peach of An Idea for Youth Groups

It's fall (or spring) and the youth group of your church needs an activity that would earn some money for an upcoming trip. Car washes and rummage sales have been done. How about something a bit different?

Why not round up the troops (and their friends from school and the community) and go to a 'pick your own' farm? What a great idea for a local trip of a Saturday: the teens will be outside, active, picking local produce. While there, have a picnic (if the facility permits you to do so ... many do)!

Bring the bounty back to church, repackage into smaller containers and sell before and after services on Sunday.

This idea would work well during grape, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, peach and apple picking seasons. If your parish is sponsoring a rummage sale, set up a table for these fresh-off-the-vine delights.

Alternatively, during apple season especially, set aside two Saturdays: one for the picking and the second for boiling down the apples to make CHAPEL Sauce. Ahead of time request small clear plastic containers from congregants. Print up labels, perhaps with a simple graphic outline of your own church, and assemble the containers.

Applesauce is EASILY made - without sugar or artificial sweetener - by peeling, coring and slicing apples, adding only a bit of water and cooking down the slices on medium heat. Perhaps one batch could be 'snazzed up' by adding cinnamon and/or nutmeg to the mix [making certain, of course, to indicate additional ingredients on the label]. There's nothing quite like fresh, naturally sweet applesauce!