Valley View United Methodist Church’s eighth annual Pumpkin Patch fundraiser is underway and children can frolic through the patch as they choose their pumpkin.
Proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch will support Valley View’s snack pack food assistance program which provides 85 area elementary-age children in need, with snacks every weekend. The food packs are filled with crackers, drink pouches, applesauce, fruity snacks, tuna salad, microwave pastas and granola bars.
“Things that little children can eat without having to cook them,” event coordinator Lois Johnson said. “They go to kids that may not be able to eat over the weekend.”
Pastor Dennis Heffner said the snack pack program not only helps feed children in need but it also improves their abilities to perform successfully in school.
“It’s really important because, unfortunately, there are so many children that don’t have access to food over the weekend,” Heffner said. “If a child doesn’t eat, they can’t learn. We feel like it’s not just food, it’s improving the lives of these children.”
The pumpkins are grown by the Navajo Nation in Farmington and range in price from 50 cents to $14. The Nation supplies similar Pumpkin Patch programs across the country and receives a portion of the profits; the rest goes toward supporting Valley View’s food assistance program.
“So we get to say they’re grown locally,” Johnson said. “Most of them are in the $10 range for a nice-sized pumpkin.”
The Pumpkin Patch will operate until Oct. 31 or until all of the pumpkins have been sold. For more info, contact Valley View United Methodist Church at (505) 753-4115.