Canonsburg church has the calendar covered for charity
CANONSBURG – The congregation at First United Methodist Church in Canonsburg is going the extra mile to help others in their community.
Not only do several members volunteer for Blessings in a Backpack at First Street and South Central Elementary schools in the Canon-McMillan School District, they also are holding a fundraiser to help fill those backpacks with nutritious, nonperishable food for young children whose families qualify for the federally funded free and reduced-price lunches and have little or no food on the weekends.
The church, located at 161 W. Pike St., will host a Calendar Party at 1 p.m. Saturday. Twelve tables will be decorated to reflect each month of the year, and 12 male models will be dressed in seasonal costumes that will complement the table theme.
There also will be food, entertainment and a white-elephant silent auction, and at least one mystery guest will make an appearance. Proceeds will be split between Blessings in a Backpack and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Buccaneer team.
Marlene Smith, who is the church’s treasurer, and Pat Tonsetic, outreach leader, selected the two charities based on the church’s involvement with each group.
“We’re hoping to get people from outside the community so they can learn more about Blessings in a Backpack,” Tonsetic said.
Smith said it costs just $87 to feed one child each weekend throughout the year. Smith also has been a member of the Buccaneer Relay for Life team for 14 years. The team was formed 16 years ago in honor of Richard Heinz, a friend of Smith’s family, and has raised a total of more than $200,000.
The concept of the Calendar Party was designed by Tonsetic, who has made up the “rules” along the way. For example, since the church forbids gambling, the silent auction is replacing a raffle. Members are donating unused items for the auction.
The church has 96 tickets to sell, which would raise $960. Proceeds from the auction will cushion that amount. But Smith cautioned that the church never sets goals.
“We just let God bless us,” Pastor Deb Rogosky said.
Church secretary Jan Lawrence said that if they raise $960, “We’ll be very blessed. If we get more, hallelujah.”
But it’s not always about the money. In February, for instance, the church held a soup and bread sale. Some diners couldn’t afford to pay, but they were fed anyway. The leftovers were donated to the City Mission.
“There was no waste, and people were fed,” Rogosky said.
Even though the church’s congregation numbers 150, it has a rather small active membership of 50 people. But they continue to do big things.
“We’re here as disciples,” Tonsetic said.
Other charitable ventures include assembling birthday boxes for Fresh Start, making fleece tie blankets for Knots of Love, donating food to the Veterans Pantry in Waynesburg for families whose loved ones have been deployed, donating cell phones to the Washington Women’s Shelter and participating in a recycle and repurpose program that provides medical equipment to Third World countries.
And once a month, they hold a free community spaghetti dinner. On a typical night, they go through 12 to 13 pounds of spaghetti.
“We get tired, but then we wake up again,” Smith said.
Actually, the church’s community outreach has increased since Rogosky was appointed pastor in early 2013.
“Pastor Deb is a people person,” Smith said. “She gets her elbows into things. She has brought energy to the church.”
Rogosky also serves as pastor Meadow Lands and Fawcett United Methodist churches.
“If you keep giving, you never know what you’ll get back,” she said.
Tickets for the Calendar Party are $10 each and can be purchased by calling the church office at 724-745-5771.