The Pickles With a Purpose display at the Glory Haus showroom at AmericasMart in Atlanta during the International Gift and Home Furnishings Market in July. Photo: Zeke Jennings
Glory Haus sells a lot of products, but food typically isn’t among them.
The Marietta, Georgia-based company made an exception for a very special reason, one that involves a 9-year-old boy’s quest to provide a homeless man a house.
Pickles with a Purpose stemmed from an encounter Luke Holm, then 7 years old, had with a homeless man named Tim. Holm heard messages in church about helping the homeless, but he’d never knowingly met someone in that situation.
Luke Holm (left) with Tim. (Courtesy photo: Glory Haus)
Glory Haus, where Holm’s mother is employed, often hires those affiliated with MUST Ministries, where Tim had received assistance. When Luke met Tim, who was working at the Glory Haus warehouse, it dawned on Luke that Tim was one of the people he heard about in church.
Holm attempted to get a prayer read during a National Day of Prayer telecast involving a large prayer chain, said Glory Haus COO Jim Crooks said.
“This program is planned months ahead, but Luke’s request was like six days out,” Crooks said. “Once they heard about Luke, they said, ‘We’ve got to get this kid on.’”
The appearance generated momentum for the project, raising several thousand dollars, but it was the idea of Holm’s grandmother that got Pickles with a Purpose going.
“She wanted to help, but didn’t have a lot of money, so she donated her sweet pickle recipe,” Crooks said, describing the flavor as “sweet with spice.”
Twelve-ounce jars of Pickles with a Purpose sell through the Glory Haus website for $10 apiece or $110 for a case. Wholesale prices are $5 per jar and $60 per case. Wholesale purchases of two cases come with a display.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/PicklesWithAPurpose or www.gloryhaus.com.
