In June 2025, the children of Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson, Nebraska, raised funds for MCC food baskets, full of fortifying staple items like grains, as well as the oil and salt needed to turn ingredients into filling meals. They raised over $14,000.
Through their yearly vacation Bible school, they followed the journey of Joseph in Egypt. They learned how famine impacted families in Joseph’s time, and how many families, in Nebraska and worldwide, continue to face hunger today. Church leaders like Pastor Andrea Wall asked the question, “What does it mean for us to be agents of God’s care and provision in today’s world to help those who are hungry?”
The church had learned that $65 could fund an MCC basket that would help to feed three families for a month. And so the VBS group, comprised of over 100 children from preschool to sixth grade, set a goal of raising $3,250 for 50 food baskets between June 2 and June 6. As funds were raised, VBS staff and volunteers built a pyramid of canned vegetables at the church, with each can representing $65 raised.
“Well, the kids crushed it and raised over $5,000 for a total of 77 cans,” says Wall. “I heard stories of kids who were emptying their piggy banks in the morning and kids who … instead of getting snacks at the pool in the afternoon, they were giving it to the offering.” Her own children, and their cousins, raised about $150 over the course of two days through a lemonade stand. Even when the weather turned rainy and cool, they stuck close to the stand, umbrellas in tow, and neighbors gladly came out and supported them.
On the Sunday after VBS ended, the children shared what they’d learned with the rest of the congregation. And they shared how much money they’d raised so far. Inspired by the children’s efforts, another $2,200 was donated that day, bringing their offering to over $7,000.
“And then we had an estate gift come in,” Wall says. “The family was so inspired by what the kids had done that they wanted to match it.”
So, in total, the VBS raised more than $14,000 to provide food — more than double their initial goal.
As children raised money, a pyramid of canned vegetables grew taller in the church. Each time they raised $65 for another food basket, a new can was added to the stack. “I think we all learn best visually, when we can see what we’re giving to, when we can see the impact,” says Wall. At the end of the fundraiser, the veggies were donated to the Can-Care-A-Van, a statewide food fundraiser supported by a local news channel.
As the fundraiser drew to a close, the kids gathered for a celebration. “We had a lot of fun this last week celebrating and encouraging the kids, telling them, ‘Look what you can do. You can start out small and it can end up being a huge impact in the same way that Joseph basically was just faithful to God in the hardest times and ultimately, he … ended up saving the whole region.’ … It was a really cool way to connect the Bible story into modern day life and encourage the kids to fan and to flame their gifts that God has given them and to allow the spirit to work in our midst.”
Top photo: A pyramid of cans starts to grow at Bethesda Mennonite Church during a VBS fundraiser. Each can represented funds raised for one MCC food basket. Photo courtesy of Kerri Pankratz
Our initiatives: food
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