By: Staff Report
BRYAN – The Sanctuary Homeless Shelter will host its annual banquet Tuesday, April 21, at 5 p.m. at New Hope Community Church, main building, in Bryan, with shelter leadership calling this year’s gathering a pivotal moment as the organization pursues its largest capital goal to date.
Pheba Banerjee-Sam, director of spiritual care for the shelter, extended an open invitation to community members, churches and businesses across Williams and Fulton counties. The evening will include a meal, testimonies from those served by the shelter, fellowship and a silent auction.
“You are most humbly invited,” Banerjee-Sam said in extending the invitation, describing the banquet as a chance to see “the fruit of your prayers and labor.”
This year’s fundraising target is $250,000, the highest in the shelter’s history. Shelter leaders said roughly $100,000 of that total is needed for building rerouting work required by the organization’s insurance carrier, which has indicated it will not continue coverage if the project is not completed.
Additional funds are earmarked for central air conditioning and a new HVAC system in the shelter’s apartment units, which currently have no cooling.
Community members who are unable to attend are being encouraged to support the silent auction through donations of items or services, or to share information about the banquet with friends, neighbors and social media networks.
“Our volunteer is trying so hard,” Banerjee-Sam said, noting that a recent neck injury has limited her ability to make direct appeals to area donors. “Even if it’s on Facebook, please help encourage the community.”
The Sanctuary Homeless Shelter operates in Bryan and provides emergency housing, meals and spiritual care to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in northwest Ohio.
Banquet Details
– What: Sanctuary Homeless Shelter Annual Banquet
– When: Tuesday, April 21, at 5 p.m.
– Where: New Hope Community Church, main building, Bryan
– Includes: Meal, testimonies, fellowship and silent auction
For questions, to RSVP or to donate toward the silent auction or capital campaign, contact the Sanctuary Homeless Shelter. Banerjee-Sam can be reached at (908) 630-7411.