This summer was a time of fun and cheer at the Robbinsville Farmers Market, celebrating local businesses and nonprofits in the community! During the months of July and August, Itiah Angels for Learning (IAFL) joined a variety of vendors in the outreach program to give the community a taste of what we offer.
Open to all, the Robbinsville Farmers Market featured stands that sold items from home decor candles to fresh local produce. IAFL was able to spread awareness of our charity and promote our mission to garner new volunteers, donations, and subscribers to its monthly newsletter, the ITIAH Bulletin. The outreach program could not have been done without the immense effort of our volunteer team. Founder Marie Thadal thanked Alinah Rose, who took the lead role in managing IAFL’s table every week, as well as Magnolia Brown, Jolia Thadal, and Derek Appiahkumi. The table sported flyers, school supplies, and brochures for visitors.
IAFL aims to transform the lives of young students in Haiti through generous donations for better educational materials and other opportunities. Visitors had the option to donate to the cause at the table, and beauty supplies were gifted to those who subscribed to the IAFL newsletter, where individuals can stay up to date with IAFL news and events.
It wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine; IAFL almost did not make it to the Farmers Market on July 12 because there was no driver to bring IAFL’s setup to the site. However, a few of our dedicated volunteers stepped in to make it happen! That day, Alinah took the IAFL tent and supplies to Robbinsville, Jolia took a late lunch from her job to drop off some more supplies, and Magnolia arrived just in time after her appointment to welcome passersby. The team deserves praise for their unwavering determination in the outreach program.
Aside from local vendors, the Farmers Market had diverse activities every week for visitors of all ages to enjoy! For example, July 26 was Touch-A-Truck Day, made possible through a partnership with the Robbinsville Township Police Department, Fire Department, and Department of Public Works, where the local community could view, touch, and take photos with the vehicles used around town. Another special event was Kids’ Day on August 9, where the farmers market had balloon art, a bounce slide, rock painting, and many more activities. To highlight the importance of education in youth, IAFL distributed school supplies as gifts to children. The team also met a new volunteer, Sharon Bancroft, at the event, who has since been an incredible resource for the organization. In the penultimate week of Robbinsville Farmers Market, Cousins Maine Lobster served delicious, mouth-watering lobster dishes, and live music from Matt Cook and Lydia Cicio, who work at The ARC of Mercer, transformed the atmosphere. IAFL had a blast tabling thanks to the activities provided by the farmers market and the visitors who stopped by!
This was not IAFL’s first rodeo with tabling at a farmers market. IAFL has a great partnership with the Trenton Farmers Market and manager Ludovich Andre. The Trenton Farmers Market even kindly donated a table to IAFL back in June to support the nonprofit and pledged to donate $50 monthly toward the charity. There is no doubt that outreach is an important component of supporting our students in Haiti, and we are always grateful to those who resonate with our mission! IAFL is grateful to Hope Neis and Robbinsville Farmers Market for the table space to promote our mission to the local community. Meeting face to face with our neighbors and seeing the diverse vendors alongside IAFL were unforgettable experiences for our organization!
Written by Kat Dinh