We had a Holiday Store for the first time this year. I wasn't to keen on the idea but had one anyway. It was a huge sucess! We used a company that shipped boxes to school. When it was all over we just shipped back what we didn't sell. As for volunteers we had too many. We had many middle school and high school students help along with a bunch of parents. I think a big plus for us was we had it on a Saturday morning. Parents waited in the gym with coffee and bakery items while the kids shopped. The best part was that all the kids loved buying their own gift for Mom and Dad.
We had some opposition to our Holiday Shop this year. Mostly because some consider it a fundraiser, while some of us consider it a service, and we were doing it on instructional time. Our district is limiting this big time. So we did our shop for five days, during recess. Children who did not participate did their normal routine of recess while those participating came across the hall to shop. We basically scheduled one class per day per 1/2 hour slot (22-28 students). It did however take a number of volunteers but for only 2 hours per day. This was better than those 8 hour days with many gaps or holes. Our teachers loved it because it didn't interupt class at all. We put bagged purchases in a box and delivered them to the classroom. This was our first year doing it this way-some didn't care for it but I did. As president I try to volunteer or show my face at every event for support. We have committees for all our events and try to have 2 or more members per committee. If these slots aren't filled that committee isn't run that year (hasn't happened). To get volunteers we send a letter home in Sept. with all activities we forsee needing volunteers for. Then we have a master list for each activity for the committee to pull from.
Just one more thing...we did ask the 5th grade teachers if we could "borrow" some of their students to help the younger kids...the response was "we don't like having our kids pulled out of class during the day, when we are working" Which is totally understandable considering that is the real reason they are there anyway. And after shopping with the 5th graders all three classes of 30 of them I discovered that they were the most indecisive of them all...so we did try....
The Holiday Shop was great for us this year. We made several thousand dollars off of this year by buying wholesale and even kept our prices low for the children. We have very little attend our meetings but when we ask for help we get it. We actually had more help then we needed but I didnt turn away anyone I found something that they could do. Even used some of them as door greeters. The shop was suppose to be 5 days and we bought the over $2000.00 in merchandise and was completely sold out in 2 and half days.
We do the santa shop and have volunteers falling over themselves. Really, there are too many of us bumping around and looking for something to do. Since you don't have that problem, you could try what we do; the 5th grade classes come in and help the younger students with money and purchases and their lists. It's a learning experience for all concerned. The 5th graders feel good about helping and learn patience and get to practice math. If numbers allow, there are usually two older kids assigned to each younger one.
Our school is small, I guess. Two classrooms for each grade of about 20-25 kids each, sometimes less.
Just a funny little thought....I wonder if the lady who keeps asking for Santa Shop would be willing to chair the whole event from start to finish....bet you wouldn't hear a peep out of her the next time if she did...LOL:)
