By Sarrah Peters, News Editor
The Church at Wills Creek is hosting a Sunday Dinner Fundraiser to benefit The Love Center. The Sunday Dinner will be held on November 6 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the church, located at 2730 Wills Creek Roadin Gadsden.
The Sunday Dinner will feature two meal options: a $10 barbeque chicken plate and the fixings or a $5 hot dog plate with sides.
Tickets for the dinner will be sold by church members and Love Center Board members.
Since the majority of the food was donated, the money raised by ticket sales will go to help The Love Center.
The Love Center was founded in 1982 when Charlsie Tarrance was inspired to provide shelter to “God’s most forgotten people.” Tarrance noticed the problem of homelessness in Etowah County and created The Love Center to provide clothing, food, furniture and shelter to those in need.
“Since 1985, The Love Center has provided homeless single women, couples and families with children with long-term housing and meals,” said board member Gail Keeling-Smith. “This is only made possible through generous funding we have received from members of our community.”
The Love Center was able to assist 144 clients in 2015. Thirty-five of those clients were children. That is 4,014 nights of shelter and 12,042 meals for its clients in the last year alone.
Love Center Board president Nancy Smith said that The Church at Wills Creek pastor Jason Ellen is continuing his father’s legacy. Ellen’s father was a Love Center board member.
“It’s very special that Jason is carrying on his dad’s support for The Love Center,” said Smith.
Ellen said that The Love Center has always supported the community.
“We have used them before when we had families come to us for help,” said Ellen. “It’s always been a good ministry that we want to help support.”
The idea for the dinner came from a previous successful fundraiser that was well-received. Ellen said that it was also a way to “bring us together.”
“We like to get involved, not just send a check,” Ellen said.
For more information or tickets, call Nancy Smith at 256-442-9034.