Winona Lake Church Of The Good Shepherd Hosting Fundraiser
By Ray Balogh
InkFreeNews
WINONA LAKE — Church of the Good Shepherd, 708 College Ave., Winona Lake, is presently conducting its annual peanut brittle fundraiser, which will run through the first week of December “or as long as supplies last,” according to church secretary Esther Zellner.
The brittle is sold for $5 for a bag of three sizable patties, which are “made with loving hands by church members,” said church member Terry White.
No online payment is available, but cash or checks made out to Church of the Good Shepherd will be accepted.
Purchases may be picked up at the church office from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday or by drive-thru in the church’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.
“Calling ahead is not necessary unless it’s for a large order,” said White. The sale, held every year since 2001, is typically also set up at venues such as craft shows, but the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans.
The brittle is quite popular with customers, many of whom return year after year, sometimes from a good distance away. “Customers regularly exclaim, ‘This is the best I’ve ever tasted,’ and one gentleman drove round-trip four hours to purchase a full case,” Zellner said.
“We get wonderful thank-you notes from individuals and organizations who have purchased our brittle,” White commented.After tithing to the church, expending “a small percentage” to purchase ingredients and supplies, and dedicating seed money to launch the following year’s fundraiser, the remainder of the proceeds are distributed among several local and worldwide charities.
Last year’s proceeds went to Beaman Home, Combined Community Services, Community Closet, Red Cross, Riley Children’s Hospital, Salvation Army, Shriners Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the victims of various floods.
This year’s recipients will include All Things New, Boomerang Backpacks, Fellowship Missions, Gideons, Habitat for Humanity, Honor Flight Inc., Jefferson Elementary School, Wounded Warriors and tornado victims.
The church, led by its new pastor, Eric Sass, who was installed Nov. 8, holds its Sunday services at 10:30 a.m. and operates a preschool open to all families in the community.
For more information, call the church office at (574) 267-7595 or visit the church’s Facebook page.