The 6th annual Food for Families fundraiser was a sell out event at Conestoga Mennonite Church in Morgantown on Feb. 3 and 4.
Founder and organizer Deborah Harry and her team hosted the 6th annual fundraiser that benefits the Twin Valley Food Pantry and has become their number one fundraiser. The event is bursting at the seams with more croppers, vendors, and raffle and auction items.
They surpassed last year’s amount raised.
“We have grown every year since year one when we raised about $2,500. I was planning on a one-time fundraiser and never even thought about it becoming an annual event,” said Harry standing in the church lobby transformed into a gala of artfully wrapped gift baskets for the raffle and auction items lining the back of the room waiting for the winning bid.
“I am humbled by the positive response this fundraiser receives from the community,” said Harry. “So many people help.”
Local donors include Paulski’s Auto Service; Morgantown Beverage, Lowe’s; Auto Zone; Subway; Twin Valley Coffee; Genesis; Performance Chiropractic; Elverson Fitness Club; Emily’s; My Pet’s Brace; El-Mor Chevrolet; French Creek Golf Club; Antonio’s Pizza; Just Mom’s; Giovanni’s Pizza and many many more.
Since the first year, the event has expanded with arms reaching through the hallways of the church to vendor areas, a large bake sale, health and wellness areas, and various inner sanctum ‘crop’ rooms.
“I am still surprised that I could move out of my comfort zone to follow up with the idea of a fundraiser in 2010. I really had no idea what I was doing. Sometimes, an idea is all you need if you really believe in it. People started to believe in the idea, too, and soon we had our first fundraiser planned,” says Harry whose license plate reads: ‘Ask-Get’.
Key members of the team are Ginny Janoski, Linda Smith, Joan Godwin, Carol Moss, Jay and Deanna Arndt, Cindy Petersheim and Linda Kelly.
The raffle and auction are open to the public. The number one dream prize for scrapbookers was a Cricut Air 2 machine worth $250 donated by a friend of the food pantry; three framed gift card packages worth $200 to $245; Flyers and Philadelphia Phillies autographed photos; tickets for Sight and Sound Theatre, Reading Phillies, The Helicopter Museum, and Longwood Gardens. The 79 prizes and 21 silent auction items included baby toy baskets, books, gym memberships, 150 gallons of home heating oil, and a spa basket that included a gift certificate for a massage.
This year they had a total of 81 scrapbookers, up from last year’s 67; six vendors with scrapbook products and seven “public” vendors, all were local except Penny Lang who traveled from Pittsburgh and the ladies from We Embellish, who came from the Harrisburg area.
Several scrapbooking classes were offered by Mary and Marlee Snyder representing Kiwi Lane; Kristy Deischer-Eddy with Creative Memories; Sue Pozer of We Embellish; Denise Sanner and Darlene Qualio with Close to My Heart and Melissa Howshall with Crop, Paper, Scissors.
The crop rooms were a buzz with the people working on their projects as a lively group of freshmen from High Point Baptist School sold the group their bake goods on butler trays.
Joy Caldwell, who moved to the area over a year ago, contacted Harry from a post in the Tri County Record seeking volunteers. The idea was born to have her and her twins, Bailey and Brittany recruit others from their class and form a team to bake, sell and serve. The girls are close friends of the Brown quintuplets, Racheal, Jenna, Faith, Kaite and their brother Zach. And soon they were on board. If the croppers thought, they were seeing double, they were.
Five freshman boys added to the fun with a homemade sign made by Quinn Machado, round butler trays filled with fudge, cupcakes, brownies, cinnamon sugar walnuts, etc. that were all made by the parents and kids and donated to the Food Pantry.
“It was fun doing things together as a class,” said Bailey.
Jenna added, “It was fun to see the boys walking around serving and selling.”
Quinn said, “I made the sign.”Jack McDevitt, said, “When life gives you lemons, sell baked goods. Serving others serves you.”
“Magnificent experience making the cupcakes, it took me two batches but I got it,” said Ben Howe.
Braeden said, “We absolutely put smiles on their faces.”
“We would like to thank Mrs. Caldwell for the experience,” added Michael.
One table of scrapbookers shared their experience. For some it was only their first or second time there.
“I have been a scrapbooker for close to 15 years, this is my second year back,” said Kelly Hess from Allentown.
At her table were two sisters from Gilbertsville, Rosie and Julie Geneario. Julie was making a vacation book about Honduras that she visited in 2016 and showed her photos of monkeys and birds.
“My mother, Barbara Mecca, passed in 2012 and I am making a book of her recipes. She had four boxes filled. This will be a family remembrance,” added sister Rosie.
“This is a community oriented crop. Everybody is very friendly and the food is very good,” said Hess.
Back in the kitchen, Kathleen Weaver the Kitchen Manager was busy organizing things for the evening meal.
The event fee includes meals for both days. Locals had dropped off crockpots and trays filled with food.
“We love serving the scrapbookers,” she said.
The menu included an array of juices, bagels, fruit trays, sandwiches, soups, bread sticks, salad, pizza, ziti and desserts and beverages among others,
Weaver gave insight into the work of the food pantry that in January served 115 families , which is 415 individuals. About 70 volunteers distributed approximately 12,500 pounds of food along with personal health and hygiene items. They also serve an evening meal to all the recipients as well as the volunteers.
“Their favorite is hot dogs from our roller grill, they also love the baked corn, and the various crockpot meals,” Weaver said. “And they love Mac and Cheese out of the box, beef and beans, and chili are more of their favorites.”
“We try to follow the holidays. Every Christmas we have turkey and ham and Amish wedding stuffing. On Easter and Thanksgiving, we serve the traditional meals,” said Weaver. “I enjoy what I do. I think in life to help other people gives us purpose and joy. My purpose is to make everyone feel welcome and get a good meal.”
Weaver said Wes and Lou Boyer, church members, wear a sign that says “If you need prayer, see us.”
“Many people will ask. It is important that everyone knows that we care and are treated with dignity,” said Weaver.
For more information, go to www.facebook.com/twinvalleyfoodpantry.org
For specific information contact Deborah Harry at info@twinvalleyfoodpantry.org
