Alliance fundraiser lunch at Woods Saturday

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Ministerial Alliance, in partnership with Woods Supermarket, 2322 S. Main St., is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday at the grocery store to raise money for a fund that will go toward helping needy residents.

The fundraiser will offer a choice of either a hot dog or hamburger, chips and a soda for $2. It will start at around 9 a.m. and conclude at about 2 p.m. Woods is donating the food and use of a grill. All the proceeds raised will go toward the fund, Woods employees said.

Money raised will go toward increasing the alliance's transient fund.

Money raised for the fund has historically been raised churches within the alliance taking up a collection each Thanksgiving That's how they've raised money for the fund. Also, the alliance gets checks periodically throughout the year.

Now, alliance leaders are wanting new monies to help local residents.

"I think the money would mainly go for temporary assistance like groceries," the Rev. Scott Moore said, who's also vice president of the alliance. "It will mainly be food assistance at first."

The Rev. Steve Bell, the alliance's president, said the organization doesn't have a sturdy financial base to jump head-strong into delivering a lot of help via the fund.

"The alliance really wants to make a difference in the community," Moore said, "and not just a bunch of guys just having lunch together."

"We're depending on the generosity of the community," Moore said. "This community has generally been very generous. The more money is raised the more we can do."

They have no set amount they hope the fundraiser brings in. "Basically, it's just an experiment," Bell said. Other fundraisers will be scheduled in the future based on how Saturday's event goes.