There’s still time to get out and find Halloween decorations for the house and yard. If you plan to decorate for fall, there is no better place to shop than the Pumpkin Patch at Community Congregational Church, 410 S. Cornell Ave., Villa Park. The church is running its annual Pumpkin Patch, open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 31.
This is the fifth year the church has had the Pumpkin Patch, which is a fundraising project for the church. The sales help offset a portion of the operating fund deficit the church has every year.
Dick Eastman has organized the Pumpkin Patch since the first year.
“The idea of a Pumpkin Patch came from a flier the church received from a company called Pumpkin Patch Inc. The company is located in North Carolina and had its beginning 30 years ago.
“Back then a farmer with some pumpkins met a minister with a need for funds. The farmer agreed to let the church sell the pumpkins and they would share the proceeds. There was no contract, just a handshake and a trust in each others. Thirty years later, the church is still selling pumpkins every October to fund their goals,” Eastman said.
According to Eastman, the church has no financial obligation to Pumpkin Patch Inc. They are given the pumpkins and then get a percentage of those sold. The church disposes of the extras.
The farmer is the founder of Pumpkin Patch Inc. and now manages his pumpkin growing business with the help of many others. In recent years the pumpkin growing has moved to an American Indian reservation in New Mexico. Workers from the reservation plant and harvest the pumpkins on land they rent to Pumpkin Patch Inc. More workers load the pumpkins on large trucks that move them to patches all over the country.
Eastman said the Pumpkin Patch family of churches and other nonprofit organizations is made up of more than 1,000 locations and more than 20 denominations in 42 states and is growing annually.
“The amazing part is that the churches net over $3 million annually. Our church keeps 30 cents of every dollar sale. There are no hidden costs. All items come on consignment to us and we split the sales revenue. We are simply required to dispose of the leftovers in a charitable way such as food pantries, shut-ins and nursing homes. Every year we have given pumpkins to such organizations in Villa Park and surrounding communities,” Eastman said.
The pumpkins arrived by semi-trailer Oct. 11. Volunteers unloaded the truck like a fire brigade, passing them down the line one at a time until the last one was off the truck.
Churches that participate in the pumpkin patch program say it pulls people into the church and meshes the community with it. This is definitely the case with Community Congregational Church.
“Our Pumpkin Patch is supported by over 100 volunteers from the congregation. They help by unloading the truck, marketing the patch to the communities, making signs and by working at the Pumpkin Patch selling the items. Each year we have seen an increase in the support of the community. For some, a visit to the Patch has become an annual event,” Eastman said.
When you visit the Pumpkin Patch, you’ll see a wide variety of colors and sizes of pumpkins as well as miniature pumpkins, small and large gourds and corn stalks. Be sure to bring your camera when shopping. The Pumpkin Patch offers a great opportunity to take a picture among the pumpkins and there is a wooden pumpkin cutout for kids to put their faces in for another photo opportunity.
The church also will be offering storytelling at the Patch to youth organizations by appointment. Call the church at (630) 834-8352 to set up a time for your group.
