This summer was a time of fun and cheer at the Robbinsville Farmers Market, celebrating local\u00a0businesses and nonprofits in the community! During the months of July and August, Itiah Angels\u00a0for Learning (IAFL) joined a variety of vendors in the outreach program to give the community a\u00a0taste of what they offer. Open to all, the Robbinsville Farmers\u2019 Market featured stands that sold\u00a0items from home d\u00e9cor, candles, food, and refreshments to fresh local produce. IAFL volunteers were 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.<\/p>\n
The outreach program could not have been done without the immense effort from our volunteer\u00a0team. Founder Marie Thadal thanked Alinah Rose, who took the lead role in managing IAFL\u2019s\u00a0table every week, with the support of Magnolia Brown, Jolia Thadal, and Derek Appiah-Kumi. The table sported flyers, brochures and gifts for visitors. IAFL aims to transform the lives of\u00a0young students in Haiti through generous donations for tuition, educational materials and other\u00a0necessities. Visitors had the option to donate to the cause at the table, and beauty products\u00a0were gifted to those who subscribed to the IAFL newsletter, where individuals can stay up to\u00a0date with IAFL news and events.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t always rainbows and sunshine; there was a Tuesday the weather conditions were too harsh. On July 12, IAFL almost did not make it to the Farmers Market because there was no driver to bring IAFL\u2019s setup to the site. However, after a few phone calls made by Alinah, the team was there to welcome passersby. The team deserves praise for their unwavering determination in the outreach program.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0partnership with the Robbinsville Township Police Department, Fire Department, and\u00a0Department of Public Works, where shoppers could view, touch, and take photos with\u00a0the vehicles used around town. Another special event was Kids\u2019 Day on August 9, where the\u00a0Farmers Market had balloon art, a bounce slide, rock painting, and many more activities. To\u00a0highlight the importance of education in youth, IAFL distributed school supplies as gifts to\u00a0children. The team also met a new collaborator, Ms. Bancroft, at the event, who has various ideas to share with the team. In the penultimate week of Robbinsville\u00a0Farmers\u2019 Market, Cousins Maine Lobster served delicious, mouth-watering lobster dishes, and\u00a0live music from Matt Cook and Lydia Cicio, who work at The ARC of Mercer, transformed the\u00a0atmosphere. IAFL had a blast tabling thanks to the activities provided by the farmers market and\u00a0the visitors who stopped by!<\/p>\n
This was not IAFL\u2019s first rodeo with tabling at a farmers\u2019 markets. IAFL has a great relationship\u00a0established with the Trenton Farmers\u2019 Market and manager, Ludovich Andre. The Trenton Farmers\u2019 Market also kindly donated a table to IAFL back in June and the December of 2021 to support the nonprofit.\u00a0 There is no doubt that outreach is an important component to\u00a0our work, and we are always grateful to those who resonate with our mission.<\/p>\n
IAFL is grateful to Hope Neis, of the Division of Recreation and Parks and the coordinator of the Robbinsville Farmers\u2019 Market for the table space to promote our mission to the local community. Robbinsville has a rich history with farming dating back to centuries. The Township\u2019s 2020 Master Plan includes ways for farmers to utilize and preserve agricultural lands and activities. It also establishes an initiative to \u201cacquire lands where the owners of agricultural properties wish to sell; thereby accommodating their needs while protecting against overdevelopment and sprawl.\u201d The Township has a strong relationship with the farming community and continues to provide more opportunities for community engagement, from the youngest of children to their seniors, through the Robbinsville Farmers Market. Supporting local businesses, organizations, and farmers with the outreach program has always been important to Neis. She recognizes the importance of joining together face-to-face as a community, especially during the digital age. \u201cFor me, there is no better therapy than watching something grow from one tiny seed,\u201d says Neis. \u201cTaking a step back to remember how it all started is a temporary, but much needed escape from today\u2019s technology filled world.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Written by: Kat Dinh<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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