Galen Glen customers invited to "Max the Mini" and "Burst the Beemer" at annual fundraising event for local charity

For the second year, the staff at Galen Glen Winery has chosen Family Promise of Carbon County to be the charity they support during their annual harvest fundraiser. "In 2014 we partnered with MINI of Allentown for our Max the Mini event" says Kathy Matson, Tasting Room Manager. "This year, the Daniels family of dealerships wanted to make the event even more fun by adding another car and 'Burst the Beemer' was born."

This year Daniels BMW and MINI of Allentown will have two cars onsite at the winery on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1 for visitors to bring much-needed items for the only homeless shelter in the area that helps homeless families with children stay together. The two dealerships are asking their clients to make it a competition to see which car gets filled faster, fuller, etc.

The dealership, in Allentown, organized a "rally" for the mini owners last year to arrive together and present their donations. They hope to organize MINI and BMW owners this year. The public is invited to come out and fill their favorite car with the needed donations of: toilet paper, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, hand soap, laundry soap, fabric softener, cleaning products, trash bags, diapers, baby wipes, deodorant, disposable razors as well as washcloths, bath towels, and new socks and underwear for men, women and children of all sizes. They will also be collecting monetary donations. Galen Glen will be offering a Halloween treat for every household who brings a donation.

Family Promise of Carbon County is based in Lehighton and allows homeless families to stay together. Unlike most shelters where women and children are separated from male family members, this program allows families to live together in the day center where thy learn new skills to find better jobs, make good nutrition and life choices. Then in the evenings they stay in host churches where they have their own bedrooms. The average length of stay in the program is 72.4 days and it is a sober-program, where all teens and adults submit to drug testing.

Since January 2015, 17 families, including 18 children under the age of 18, and 15 children under the age of 5 have graduated from the program. The program operates on donations and welcomes the community to get involved. For more information on this program, visit the Family Promise of Carbon County website: www.familypromiseofcarboncounty.com.