Junior Makers Market showcases wood designs, baked goods, quilts and more, organized by parish's Young Mothers Club
NORTH BRANCH — Over the summer, young people from the northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes were busy. One boy prepared jars of homemade jam, while another made slingshots out of tree branches. A 16-year-old girl designed and created colorful barn quilts. A 3-year-old made cookies with her mom and carefully packaged them into individual bags.
All were preparing for the first-ever Junior Maker’s Market at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in North Branch. Under the parish’s outdoor pavilion on a sunny September Sunday, children and teens sold their wares after Mass.
Parishioners and community members strolled among 11 tables stocked with flower bouquets, wooden shelves, pies, rosaries, fabric pumpkins, coaster sets, baby blankets, and dozens of other items. The young artisans answered questions about their products as they made sales, many sharing a table with siblings or friends.
The Junior Maker’s Market was hosted by the parish’s Young Mothers Club. The group formed last December after mothers of the younger children of the parish worked together to coordinate a Christmas program for Christmas Eve.
Three of the club’s founding members, Julie Morehead, Kathleen Reed and Kate Thom, named the club in honor of their grandmothers, Anne Brusie, Beverly Sohn and Marge Dhooghe.
“When (our grandmothers) were young, they would get together with their kids once a month at each other’s houses, and they called themselves the Young Mothers Club,” Reed explained to Detroit Catholic. “We thought it would be nice to name our group in honor of Grandma Bev, Grandma Marge and Grandma Anne.”
Reed’s children participated in the Junior Maker’s Market. Her daughter, Elayna, who made sugar scrubs and lip gloss, enjoyed earning a little spending money and shopping at her friends’ displays. Reed’s 14-year-old son chopped wood to sell firewood bundles and brought the family’s popcorn maker to sell fresh popcorn to hungry shoppers. Like some other young entrepreneurs at the market, he brought business cards and slipped them into the popcorn packaging for those customers who might need firewood in the future.
Homeschooling mom Lauren Brusie brought the idea of the maker’s market to the Young Mothers Club after her children participated in a similar event through the family’s homeschool group at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer. Her 12-year-old made baby blankets for the SS. Peter and Paul market and had to take orders when she sold out before the event ended. Her son, Will, decided to use his woodburning skills to create wall plaques, clocks and wooden boxes with images such as Marian crosses and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
“I felt good knowing that my hard work had paid off,” 9-year-old Will said. “Multiple people complimented me on the shading on the Sacred Heart one.”
When the Young Mothers Club began, Brusie was happy to be part of it. Having grown up in North Branch, she cherishes her roots there and wants the same for her own children.
“It’s great to have this community. I’m glad our kids have friends in the faith, and for them to know they’re not alone in that,” Brusie said. “For me, it’s good to have the friendship and support of the women as well.”
The club has already hosted multiple events, including Vacation Bible School in the summer.
“It made a lot of sense for us moms to take that over since we are bringing our kids there,” Reed said. “We shortened VBS to one night for three hours, which works for the season of life we’re all in.”
In February, the club organized Kids Winter Bingo. Children ages 5-12 marked their bingo cards as the numbers were called, while the little ones played with the help of a parent or older sibling. Confirmation candidates pulled numbers from the barrel and called them out to the room. The Knights of Columbus council at the parish provided hot dogs and refreshments.
It was the first time the parish hosted children’s bingo, an activity pastor Fr. Richard Treml supported whole-heartedly.
“Fr. Rich is always very open to trying new things, which is much appreciated when you’re trying to bring new ideas to the parish,” Reed said.
While the Young Mothers Club aims to offer events for the children and teens of the parish, an equally important goal is to help moms in need. After a mother in the parish recently had surgery, the club helped by providing food and support as she recovered. They also provided financial assistance when a parish family with a terminally ill child visited a shrine in Canada.
“It could be a pregnant teen mom, a grandmother raising her grandchildren, a foster mom, or a mother figure. We want to help ease the burden of whatever they’re going through,” Reed said.
To enable the group to help when moms and women need assistance, the club held a sweatshirt sale and plans to do other fundraisers regularly.
Meetings for the Young Mothers Club take place in members’ homes. Sometimes the kids tag along to play, and other times the meetings are only for the women to enjoy a “mom’s night out” as they discuss plans and brainstorm ideas over a glass of wine.
“We’re pretty relaxed, and we meet when we need to,” Reed said. “We’re all so busy in this time of life, but it’s been so great to see all of us come together, and to see our kids invite friends who don’t belong to the Catholic Church to join them.”
Reed believes the club works well because each mom brings her own strengths to the group. The Young Mothers Club hopes to continue to offer fun activities for children at each stage, and to model for them an example of service and compassion toward others.
As with all the events the club has taken on thus far, the recent Junior Maker’s Market proved to be a hit with the parish and community.
“I think a lot of the grandmas ran out of money that day,” Brusie quipped.
Plans are already in the works for another market, possibly in November or early December as Christmas shopping is under way.
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