By Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
When Hope Lutheran Fellowship team leader Cathie Warner learned that Hurricane Sandy had left millions of people without electricity, water and even homes, it touched her heart and reminded her of her mission trips to faraway lands.
Warner has ventured out of the country four times for mission trips to Romania, Nicaragua and Guatemala. She’s seen the plight of the poor and of those who were missing basic necessities such as food, water and shelter.
Warner decided to help people living on her own turf. Proceeds from the 18th annual Turkey Supper at Hope Lutheran Church on North Park Road went to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s disaster response fund designated for Hurricane Sandy relief. After subtracting expenses, Hope Lutheran donated a check of $5,500.
“What better way to be missionaries in our homeland?” Warner said. “Hardship was just so close to home. It was here in the states, and we could do something about it.”
After Warner had been watching TV reports and reading news stories on the computer, she proposed the idea to the board of directors at the church.
“People were so excited to be doing this,” the Rev. Dean Pfeffer said. “As a pastor, it was great to see a leader step up and the congregation rally behind this idea with such enthusiasm.”
The hurricane also hit home for Pfeffer and his family. He and his wife are from Long Island. But he is thankful that the only damage his family up north received was the loss of power at one sister’s house.
The Turkey Supper was served on Sunday, Nov. 4, but the church had been preparing side dishes since the Oct. 30. There were 37 turkeys that volunteers took home to roast on Friday.
“It was very labor-intensive,” Pfeffer said. “It involves our entire congregation without question.”
On the day of the supper, Warner worked in the kitchen, preparing the chicken broth, dressing and washing dishes from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. She has helped with the supper for 11 years.
“The whole time I was in the kitchen, I kept thinking about all the money we would raise for the victims and how this would really help those families,” Warner said.
About 800 people attended the feast, and leftovers were donated to the food bank.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.