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You could just feel the generosity around you. The warmth extended to one another, the vibrancy of bright colors radiating from the many auction displays and the celebratory spirit that permeated the atmosphere from over 200 people in attendance. Arm in Arm in Africa held its second “Fun Raiser” November 10 in SJA’s gymnasium with over 300 items up for sale via a silent auction.
SJA Associate Pastor Jim Cassidy and parishioner Pat Murphy co-founded Arm in Arm to reach out to the devastation of AIDS ravaged South African townships like Guguletu and Malungeni hoping to make a connection. Food, clothing,
toys and medical supplies are brought with each visit, but it’s the presence of local Twin Cities' faces that make the biggest difference. Coming each year since 2002, ten parishioners from St. Joan’s make a journey to these townships. Led by Cassidy and Murphy, their goal is to reach out and comfort these starving faces and bring them hope. In the process, ultimately a wakeup call of awareness and a call to raise funds help to alleviate the poverty and sickness by making a lasting difference.
The evening began with a silent auction where visitors could peruse the many items up for sale. One booth, Bear Line offered people the chance to donate money and provide a child a hand-knitted and crocheted bear made from the Mother Bear Project. These bears are created by volunteers with tags that identify the maker. They’re sent to South Africa, Zambia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, Namibia and other countries to children ravaged by HIV/AIDS and poverty. For the Arm in Arm event, suggested donations played on the words “air fare” that included First Class Bear fare for $100, others for $50 and $20. You select a bear from a large donated pile and pay the stuffed bear’s fee. Cassidy will take the bears for distribution in his upcoming trip to Guguletu early in 2007. The money raised from these purchases will aid the children where the bears are being sent. Check out more about this project by logging on to www.motherbearproject.org.
Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit Minnesota organization, provided a noteworthy display as well. They collect donations for distribution of food packets to orphanages, schools, refugee camps and relief centers around the world. Packed by volunteers, each bag of food can feed six desperately hungry children. This food is a meal formula developed by food scientists specifically to meet the needs of severely malnourished children under the age of five. Over 75,000 youth, families and retirees volunteer to assemble these plastic bags that are shipped to children in need. Just 15 cents feeds a child a hot, nutritious meal. 94% of every donation to FMSC goes directly to feeding children. Learn more by going to www.fmsc.org.
Another booth offered greeting cards with lovely pictures of African animals, flowers and scenery for $12 a packet. A gorgeous hand carved authentic African Birthing Chair(right), donated by Violet Thorland, was in for bidding. A traditional African dessert called Malva pudding was prepared for people to eat along with a crudités of raw vegetables, assorted dips and crackers.
Midway through the evening, SJA Pastoral Ministry of Peace & Justice Director Julie Madden led a Heads or Tails game with the audience. Rev. Cassidy spoke about the generosity of what volunteering will do and about his work with Arm in Arm. He offered a poignant story about comforting a young girl he met in South Africa who spent her days scavenging for food in a heap of garbage. Considering how desperate her situation was, Jim alluded to her wide-eyed stares, her deep sense of joy and hope that shone on her face. Just taking the time to visit with this poverty-afflicted community one on one provides such comfort for them. “Tonight we can make a lasting and profound difference in these children,” announced Cassidy, “Our physical wealth is only matched by their Spiritual wealth. We are blood of their blood, bone of their bone. Bit by bit, think of the bit you can do.”
SJA parishioner Ric Rosow(right with Julie Madden) hosted the live auction portion of the evening. Rosow recalled of experiences traveling through Malangetti where they brought food, aspirin and stuffed animals. Our supplies fed and clothed 30 people in this village for one month, he said. Fund the Needs offers donations to children of South Africa. Dollar amount donations were auctioned by Rosow. He would name the amount and people would make a pledge. Two people donated $1000 a piece. Three people pledged at $500. One went for $350 and two for $200. Two also bid for $100 and four for $50. Several offered $25 a piece.
The big items: a Kimono, Concrete Work, a glittery Easter Egg and a Mexican Trip
Four items were then auctioned off. An $800 value Japanese Wedding kimono was bid by Henry Gomez. $3000 worth of outdoor concrete work for side walks and steps, donated from Hage Concrete Works, was bid by Chuck Parsons for $2000. During the biding, Rosow cracked jokingly to Cassidy, “Are you selling indulgences over there.” A glittery Easter egg on a chain, from Nieman Marcus, worth $1,900, was sold to Harriet Horner for $650 and the grand prize, a one week dream vacation, a Nuevo Vallarta trip in Mexico, worth $1,700, was bid by Jim Scholler for $1,500.
Soulful Sounds of Robert Robinson
Gospel singer Robert Robinson closed the evening with six exquisitely performed songs with his backup band that consisted of three musicians and three backup singers. He opened with the African spiritual “Zamunanza,” followed by “Hela, Hela,” “Down By the Riverside,” a solo by his sister Sandy Hodges “Twelve Gates to the City,” an arousing “Jehovah Jira,” and dynamically enthralling “He Lives In You” from The Lion King.
Rev. Cassidy acknowledged his Arm in Arm co-founder Pat Murphy and co-chair people Ric Rosow, Vicki Underland Rosow, Kathy Sampsky and Chuck and Joann Parsons. Cassidy closed with a moving blessing followed by Robinson’s final number for the night, a glorious rendition of “I Will Sing of Your Steadfast Love.”
Over 300 items were donated for the night’s auction and roughly $40,000 was raised. Learn more about Arm in Arm by visiting their website at www.arminarminafrica.org.
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