NRAFS kicks off March campaign

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE — Sharon Eckart of the New Richland Area Food Shelf holds an item up for bids at the Groove For Food event Sunday, Feb. 26 at Trinity Lutheran. (Star Eagle photo by Jody Wynnemer)

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

There must have been more than a few New Richland area residents who attended church twice last Sunday. 

Trinity Lutheran was the site of the first-ever Groove for Food sponsored by the New Richland Area Food Shelf. Food shelf President Larry Goehring welcomed everyone as things got underway. Guests were treated to five different musical groups throughout the afternoon and the home-spun humor of local storyteller Al Batt.

“I was raised near Hartland in the now extinct town of Bath,” said Batt. “Hartland was a town of 300 people with only four last names. Hartland Township is now the honeymoon capital of Freeborn County.”

Pianist and vocalist Melissa Williams was the first performer with her rendition of “At Last,” a song written in 1941 and made famous by Etta James.

In between musical groups there was a live auction with Waylen and Jayne Busho acting as auctioneer and clerk, respectively. Food shelf members went up and down the aisles of the church displaying the various items.

Next up was Pam Braziel and her sons James and John performing a song they wrote. It was their first time singing in front of people. They received a nice ovation from the audience.

Again, it was more auction items with a dozen cookies a month for a year sponsored by Nancy Jane’s Bakery fetching $65.

The trio who Al Batt described as “Two Guys and a Preacher” (Rev. Pamela and Lyle Jensen along with bassist Sam Hatman) performed a few songs including “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills and Nash, and finishing with a blues tune entitled “Long Legged Woman.”

Panthera Vox Musica, a quartet from NRHEG High School, and Just Friends rounded out the day’s music.

Opening in 2009, the New Richland Area Food Shelf has increasingly provided food and other essential items to needy members of the community. In 2011, they served 5,078 people, which was up 36 percent from the previous year. Thirty-eight households use the food shelf during an average week. During the school year, they participate in the Backpack program, which provides four meals each weekend for 97 students at NRHEG  Elementary school. Teachers discreetly put the food into the child’s backpack to take home; without the program these kids may go hungry.

“We raised 384 pounds of food and $2,455 this Sunday,” said Goehring. “This is a great kickoff to the March Food Share Month campaign. Thanks to everyone for making Groove for Food possible, the performers, the sponsors and everyone who attended. We can feed our neighbors because of the kindness and generosity of the people in our community.”