Dewey’s Bakery, a bakery tradition for more than nine decades, is proud to announce that a total of $697,000 was contributed to charitable causes across North Carolina from the company’s 2021 holiday fundraising efforts. This brings the total amount raised over the last 14 years since the program’s inception to $4.3 million.
Dewey’s Bakery offers a variety of fundraising opportunities, but its one-of-kind Fundraising Partnership program creates the greatest impact in communities throughout North Carolina. Providing training, store fixtures, ongoing logistical support and retail expertise, Dewey’s offers its partners the chance to operate their own pop-up store each holiday season. Partners earn a fixed percentage of all sales generated in their stores. While focused on the holiday season, Dewey’s Bakery seeks ongoing unique opportunities throughout the year to support its partners’ individual and unique missions.
Dewey’s Bakery operated more than 40 holiday pop-up fundraising stores across North Carolina, open from mid-November 2021 through Christmas. All but one location were community stores run by local school groups, churches, and nonprofits to raise funds in partnership with Dewey’s. From Blowing Rock to Wilmington, Dewey’s operated pop-ups with partners including GreeNest, West Forsyth High School Band Boosters, Athens Drive High School, and Connect 4 Faith. Over 160 community based non-profits received funds raised by Dewey’s fundraising program.
Dewey’s cookies even made an impact in Guatemala this season through the shop operated by Mary’s Hope, a nonprofit whose mission is giving children a brighter future by establishing a private Christian elementary school in Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala.
"Not only were we able to earn the means to help the kids that we sponsor, but just as rewarding, our store volunteers enjoyed seeing the smiles on the happy customers who shopped with us and took home the delicious treats that helped make their Christmas all the more memorable," said Nancy Muster, vice president of Mary’s Hope.
The $697,000 is the second largest amount ever raised by the Winston-Salem-based bakery during their holiday pop-up shop season, and the largest amount raised since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Carrying Dewey’s hometown favorites such as sugar cake and their exceptionally thin, remarkably flavorful Moravian cookies, the pop-up shops bring the bakery’s traditional treats to markets that don’t have a permanent Dewey’s location.
“Among our many accomplishments of 2021, this one is especially incredible,” said Scott Livengood, executive chairman of Dewey’s Bakery. “While we are growing Dewey’s on a national level, we remain true to our hometown spirit of community. Thank you to all our community partners and nonprofits who ran pop-up shops across the state. Their tenacious dedication and tireless support of doing the right things for the right reasons ensured our holiday pop-up shop program experienced such tremendous growth during the pandemic and gave back to the community.”
Dewey’s plans for their holiday pop-up shops for the 2022 season are already underway, with hopes to include more North Carolina communities and expand to surrounding states. Organizations interested in operating a pop-up shop in 2022 should contact Dewey’s Bakery’s at fundraising@deweys.com to schedule a presentation on Dewey’s 2022 holiday pop-up shop offerings.
