Terry Gerber of Wellesley Mennonite Church says he still needs about 20 volunteers to run the apple fritter booth at the ABC Fest later this month.
“The Apple Butter and Cheese Festival raises money for community improvements, so everything that we make goes back to the village of Wellesley,” said Gerber.
He says finding volunteers has been an issue for this year’s festival, an issue he’s discussed with festival chair Jamie Reid.
“All around, they have struggled to get volunteers in general for the day of the festival. There’s lots of opportunities to volunteer and people just... I wonder if they just don’t know that they can.”
The booth has been run by the church for many years. Gerber has been running it for at least the past ten, he says.
Volunteers will cover four shifts of two hours each. That will involve peeling, coring, slicing apples, as well as making up pre-mixed batter, frying the fritters and rolling them in a cinnamon-sugar mix.
Gerber says many of his volunteers have aged out, and they aren’t able to stand for two hours at a time to do the work, adding that it’s the community that keeps him going.
“Sense of community and sense of my Mennonite missional background. You want to help in the community and it’s a good opportunity to give back and to do some work for a day and raise some funds to see improvements in the community.
“Come out to the Apple Butter and Cheese Festival. Support a great event. Support a great community. And if you want to volunteer, get hold of me.”
Gerber can be reached at tandcgerber@gmail.com.
