Farm market, brunch to benefit the homeless
JANESVILLE — Eat brunch—help the homeless.
Buy products from local farmers—help farmers all over the Midwest.
The Churches’ Center for Land and People is hosting a winters farmers market and brunch Saturday at Ortmayer Hall, 409 E. Court St., Janesville.
Proceeds from the brunch will be divided between the Churches Center and the GIFTS, a coalition of churches that provides a weeklong shelter for homeless men.
The weekly homeless shelter started with a handful of churches, including St. John Vianney, Bethel Baptist and Asbury United Methodist Church.
Since that time, a number of other churches have joined, and the number of men using the shelters has climbed from seven or eight to more than 17.
The Churches’ Center is a nonprofit organization based in Janesville that has sponsored more than 50 winter farmers markets in three states this year.
The markets provide a place for farmers to sell their products directly to consumers, helping them get a better price for their product.
Saturday’s market will feature a variety of items including meat, cheese, homemade soup, woolen goods, honey and a variety of other items. Vendors are giving 10 percent of their profits to Harvest of Hope, an organization that helps farmers in need throughout the Midwest.
The brunch will feature a meal made from locally produced products.
Tickets for the event are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger eat free.
IF YOU GO
What: Winter Farmers Market and brunch
When: Farmers market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Ortmayer Hall, 409 E. Court St., Janesville
Cost: Entry to the farmers market is free. Brunch is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and under eat free.
Tickets are available at Trinity Episcopal Church, St. John Vianney, St. Mary’s and Roxbury Road Church of Christ. Tickets also will be sold at the door.
Mar 6, 2008 at 9:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
Absolutely NO ONE is against helping the homeless who need our compassion and care. BUT some apparently feel they are above the zoning, tax, employment, handicapped accessibility, fair housing, health, safety, and other laws most oganizations/groups must obey to provide such services. I suggest people check out which churches are members. If so many are participating as shelters, one has to wonder why it returns to some of the churches so often - every 3 weeks to date. Oh, yea...it's because some "ministries" don't even have buildings - or tradtional congregations - for participation. The burden of adverse consequences for these programs again falls upon residential neighbors who weren't even given the courtesy to be included in the planning nor given any consideration what would result when the homeless are in their neighborhoods. I've heard some say GIFTS should simply move the program to a house. Won't happen. A house would have to be licensed and follow city, state and federal regulations for public health and safety which churches consider themselves exempt from under RLUIPA. As other communities across the nation have learned..."build it and they will come" while residential neighborhood residents be damned.
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