Old-fashioned sauerkraut scented the air in the dining hall at Salem Evangelical Congregational Church, Lenhartsville, on March 11.
The church hosted a second-annual pork and kraut meal to raise awareness and funds for Centershot, an olympic-style archery class that meets at the church on Tuesday nights.
The meal was planned and prepared by Karen Mohn and members of her 4H Clovers Club. Mohn used her own recipe for the kraut mixture, which included sweet touches of sliced apples and cider. She said she came up with the recipe via trial and error shortly after moving to the Berks County area.
“I’m just happy to be a part of this,” Mohn said as she surveyed the workers moving around the kitchen. “We’re raising money for a good cause.”
Helping Mohn were children and teens who took part in her cooking club last fall. Parents and other family and church members also pitched in, scrubbing and peeling potatoes to mash, stirring steaming crocks of green beans and dishing applesauce into serving cups.
Generous hunks of pork added heartiness to the main dish; the pork was donated by a local farmer and church members pulled the meat on Saturday morning. Other church members helped by baking pies, cookies and other sweets. Donations of potatoes and other items helped keep costs low.
Diners began streaming in around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, and meal service continued through 6:30. Many came early and stayed to visit by the hall’s gas fireplace. Among these were Kelly Shick, a Salem member and former Centershot student, and Matt Robinson, a newcomer to Salem who volunteered to assist with the archery classes this year.
“At church, they were talking about it,” Robinson explains. “It caught my attention. Archery is something I already do, and it’s a good way to show kids that no matter how big or small they are, no matter what, you can try something.”
Shick said she enjoyed her time in the Centershot program. She enrolled with her mother, Renee Shick, and the two built skills together.
“It was definitely a good experience,” she said. “I liked learning different archery techniques and the lessons that went with it.”
As she and Robinson prepared to leave, shouts and cheers rang out from an adjoining gym were guests invited to try shooting a few rounds after eating their dinners.
“It was a great event to help purchase new equipment for the ministry,” Frank LaPearl said as the evening wrapped up.
LaPeal and his wife, Lori, run Centershot at Salem EC Church. Enrollment is open now for a session slated to begin Tuesday, March 21. Enrollment for this session will close on April 4.
For a $25 fee, participants from age 10 to senior adults will meet weekly on Tuesday nights through the spring. In addition to learning to shoot or improve basic skills, special nights are planned including a balloon shoot on April 11, an Easter egg shoot on April 18, a “Steps to Christ’s Resurrection” event on April 25, an ice-cream shoot on May 2 and a closing party with prizes on May 9.
“I’m excited about the amount of people we have helping,” LaPearl said, noting that several new church attendees have joined the rank of Centershot volunteers. “I’m looking forward to the new session starting this month.”
To sign up for Centershot or for additional details, reader may contact Salem E.C. Church at 610-562-5033 or email wearesalem@comcast.net.
For details on the 4H Clovers group, readers may also leave a message at the church for group leader Karen Mohn. The Clovers are currently meeting to learn sewing skills but will resume a cooking session (in Salem EC’s kitchen) in the fall.
