Kelowna teen bakes up delicious fundraiser to help send kids to summer camp

Flour, salt, an inherited sourdough starter and creativity are all Isabella Harmel needed to launch a fundraiser for a cause close to her heart — Camp Pheonix.

She is selling her homemade sourdough bread to help kids “who wouldn’t be able to go to camp normally, either for social or financial reasons, and it gives them the opportunity to have a summer camp experience that was very important to me when I was a kid. I went to a couple of summer camps,” said Harmel, a B.C. Youth Parliament member

The five-day camp is an initiative created by members of the B.C. Youth Parliament so everyone can make memories at the summer camp. It will be held in Sook, B.C. this year.

“It’s quite an expensive project so we depend on our members like Isabella to fundraise to make that project happen,” said Abby Head, B.C. Youth Parliament member.

The camp costs thousands of dollars to run each year. So, Harmel baked up the idea to sell loaves of sourdough and donate the funds to the camp.

“I make bread in my free time, it’s a kind of a hobby of mine,” said Harmel.

“I thought I could make some bread and offer it to some neighbours and family. That’s when it started on our little local Facebook group and then there was a lot of interest.”

With orders on the rise, the baker needed some help fulfilling orders.

Her neighbour, Dan Bronswyk, co-owner of the Bread Co., stepped in to help.

Harmel picks up the sourdough bread that’s made fresh and donated to her from The Bread Co. on Kelowna’s Bernard Avenue

“I just love it when people want to make a difference in the world … I thought what a great moment for us to help support Isabella,” said Bronswyk.

The sourdough bread fundraiser has no end in sight. Harmel is still taking orders via her e-mail to isabellagharmel@gmail.com