12/08/2025
🎉 2025 Year End Bake Sale Summary 🎉
BENCHS: +$15,200
Mending Spirits Animal Rescue: +$5,900
Two organizations I love… lifted up by one powerful, compassionate community.
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What began as one tiny bake sale table with a handful of volunteers has grown into a 30 foot long display powered by over 125 volunteer bakers who pour their souls into helping animals they may never even meet.
And you supporters, alumni families, bakers, donors, shoppers you are the reason this happened. You are the reason we grew. You are the reason over $21,000 is now at work helping animals in Mankato find safety, care and hope.
This year, I spent around 200 hours at that table. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to be there. I wanted you to see me. I wanted to answer your questions, celebrate your alumni, and show you the heart and hard work behind both BENCHS and Mending Spirits.
And your kind words of encouragement and validation… they were deeply felt. And they were deeply needed. The work I do is really hard. Some days break my heart. And there are moments where carrying all of these stories feels heavy.
But hearing you say you see me trying… that you see the effort… that your adopted pet has made your life complete… that you see the love. That gives me strength. It helps me keep showing up. It helps me keep telling the stories of our community, our animals, and the people who love them.
As the Shelter Manager of BENCHS and longtime Small Animal Coordinator for MSAR, these two organizations are part of who I am. Supporting both through this bake sale has become one of the greatest joys of my life.
Seeing familiar faces, watching alumni rush to the table, hearing your stories, making new connections, it all filled my heart in ways I did not even know I needed.
And the bakers and makers… you have become my people. Your creativity, generosity and consistency have rejuvenated my spirit and kept these organizations moving forward.
I also want to share my deep gratitude and appreciation for the two local businesses that held space for these fundraisers. PetSmart and Pet Expo welcomed us with open hearts, provided space & tables, and supported these efforts with genuine kindness. Their hospitality and partnership have been deeply appreciated. They are wonderful partners to the animal rescue community, and we are truly lucky to have them in our corner.
To everyone who bought a treat, donated, shared a post, gave a hug, offered a kind word or simply stopped to talk: Thank you. Thank you for believing in us when things looked bleak. Thank you for encouraging me when I needed it most. Thank you for lifting us into a place of strength and hope.
Because of you, we didnt just make it another year, we are thriving. We turned something small into something extraordinary. And the animals felt every ounce of it. 🐾💛
I am so proud of this community. So deeply grateful. So endlessly filled with joy. We did this together. And we are just getting started.
Stay tuned for 2026 dates 🥳
Terri
BENCHS Shelter Manager
MSAR Small Animal Coordinator
