A Heartwarming Hometown Christmas

I have fond memories of my oldest son and I selling hot dogs and cookie-in-a-jar mixes at Hometown Christmas years ago, while raising funds for him to participate in the Sasayama Sister City exchange program.

It's not that I love standing behind a booth selling things – I don't. It was the support and encouragement we received from the community, which helped make his once-in-a-lifetime trip a reality, that still warms my heart.

As I strolled through Town Hall during last weekend's celebration, I realized that not much has changed, even ten years later. Of the vendors present, several were first-time businesses gently testing waters of entrepreneurship. Others were service or nonprofit groups seeking community support.

And Waitsburg is great at showing support.

Nathanial Murphy, of Mary's Candies, was front and center at this year's event, with a wide selection of homemade confections. Last Hometown Christmas, at the urging of a few friends who had been impressed with his salted caramels, Nathaniel debuted a few candies at Town Hall.

Today, just one year later, he and his wife, Erin, work from a storefront at Blue Mountain Station and sell their candies in seven retail locations from College Place to Dayton. Murphy says he has shipped candy to Seattle, Spokane Valley and North Carolina, and that a coffee shop in Estacada, Ore. will soon be selling his caramels.

Nathanial said he sold an "amazing 90-100 lbs." of candy during Hometown Christmas this year and is incredibly thankful for the supportive community that has helped Mary's Candies succeed.

Clarence Stearns, of Mr. C's Smokin' Co., manned a booth just around the corner from Murphy and is undoubtedly hoping for similar success. Stearns made his first appearance at Hometown Christmas this year, showcasing his smoked cheeses.

Stearns, who waves at passersby while selling produce from the front of his Preston Ave. home in the summer months, now has a smokehouse out back where he is licensed to smoke cheese and meat. He says he has already smoked cheeses for Dayton's Little Dipper Dairy and The Umapine Creamery. Stearns also processes wild game.

Food items weren't this year's only startups, however. Ashley Katsel was on hand representing her cleaning business, A's Amazing Cleaning. She started the business earlier this year and specializes in residential, commercial, and construction cleaning.

Kahla Wood, of Dayton, and her business partner, former Daytonite, Robin McQuary-Billow, of Lewiston, had fun showing off It Works!, their health, wellness, and skincare business. "This has been our first big event. It's been really fun and we've met a lot of people," Wood said.

Girl Scout Leader Brandi Hollingsworth said her Troop had worked hard making goodies to sell in order to raise money for the girls to attend scout camp this summer. And organizations like the Waitsburg Booster Club and Alumni Association, Eastern Star, and Friends of the Library were all on hand raising money for their worthy causes that give back to the community.

As one who has been (briefly) on the other side of the vendor table, I am grateful for the encouraging, supportive community that Waitsburg is. A few dollars spent at a booth or a few minutes of conversation with a budding entrepreneur may have more of an impact than you know. You may be helping make dreams come true or warming hearts for years to come.