Charity event help?

Question

My best friend of 13 years lost her father saturday night. She is only 16 years old. He wasn't ever sick or anything. They think it was a heart attack, but it was VERY sudden. She is an only child. And her father was a great man and was the sole provider for their family. So they have no idea what they are going to do financially. It breaks my heart because money should be the LAST thing they are thinking about at a time like this.
And with the holidays coming up, and her 17th birthday on Christmas day, i am wanting to raise some money for them.
I am 18, and don't have much money of my own. So i was thinking of a bake sale type thing. I love to bake, and that would use more of my time then money. The only thing is i don't know how to go about doing this. I know nothing about the laws, and the safety (I'm sure there is some type of rule with selling baked goods) so ANY info is greatly appreciated. I am willing to do anything for them. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Obey the Laws of the land.

Answer 2

If you are in Great Britain from what I understand the laws there are so strict you can't have bake sales or potlucks.

Here in America, however, the story is different. You are welcome to hold a bake sale, you just need permission to hold it on whatever property you choose. It's also good if you put a "made on X date" sticker on the goods so that people will know your items are fresh. At the moment there are no laws prohibiting the sale of privately made goods to the public, as long as you are not trying to claim you are a restaurant with a health inspection license.

If you're looking for a place, the two best suggestions I have is your local church and or your local school. Contact a pastor, elder, teacher, or school administrator. Explain your situation and what you would like to do. I'm sure they will be more than willing to help.
If it's a smaller community, local radio stations and local newspapers might be willing to advertise your event for free, considering it is for charity. It never hurts to ask.
The last piece of advice I have is don't go it alone! I'm sure your friend has other friends that would like to do something to help out but just don't have the idea like you do. Gather them up and make an army of charity givers. Best of luck to you!