Heifer Fair to aid international project

By Denise Bennett

Saturday, August 4, 2007 12:10 AM EDT

“My family and I suffered so much. When we received our four goats and learned about passing on the gift, I could not imagine it was I who would help end the suffering of another.”
These are the words of Alves Mangagao of Mozambique, a project partner in Heifer International.

Auburn has again shown our true colors as 12 faith communities have joined forces by partnering with Heifer International to help end world hunger. The 12 faith communities participating: Sacred Heart/Saint Ann's, Westminster Presbyterian, St. Alphonsus, Holy Family, B'Nai Israel Congregation, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Hyacinth, First Methodist, St. Mary's, First Presbyterian, Trinity Methodist and United Church of Auburn. They have all come together to work on this gift of love.

The approach of Heifer International is to “teach a man to fish.” They provide animals such as cows, chickens and goats for food and income to families across the globe, including the United States, and then the group teaches them how to care for the animals. Each family must “pass it on” by giving the offspring of their animals to another family.

To date, the Auburn faith communities have raised more than $4,200 by using Heifer's Fill an Ark program, selling Heifer Gift Cards, collecting quarters to fill a Peace Pipe and accepting donations from individuals and churches.

The Westminster Youth Group will travel on a three-day mission trip to Heifer International's Overlook Farm in Rutland, Mass., from Aug. 12 to 14. At the farm, both students and adults will participate in a “service learning experience” designed to help the group learn about the issues underlying hunger and poverty while doing the chores required for taking care of more than 20 species of animals.

And mark your calendars for Oct. 20, the date of the Heifer Fair, which will be held at Sacred Heart Church on Melrose Road. This fair is an integral part of this community effort to raise money, to fill an ark with animals destined for needy families around the world. What a great opportunity for all of Auburn's faith communities to come together for some fun and to show their support for this worthy project.

Pat Messina has created a beautiful Noah's Ark quilt to be raffled off at the Heifer Fair. (Tickets are $2 for one and $5 for three). The quilt will travel throughout the member churches for viewing and ticket sales each weekend.

Westminster will be displaying the quilt at the church and Westminster Nursery School from Sept. 16 to 23, and Sacred Heart has selected Oct. 6 to 19 to display it in the office.

Some of the other booths we can look forward to at the Heifer Fair are Living Market Gift Cards sponsored by Sacred Heart. What a beautiful and thoughtful Christmas gift these make.

Westminster Church is manning a book sale booth during the fair and is seeking good quality used books for the sale. Books are being collected in the Sacred Heart Office. No text books or magazines, please.

There will be handmade yarn items supplied by the Hooks and Needles Group, the Cayuga Home residents and various other knitters. These dedicated knitters are working diligently on many projects that will be offered for sale at the fair and are in need of donated yarn.

Anyone interested in contributing to the knitting effort can drop off new or left over skeins of yarn at the Sacred Heart Church office.

The Heifer Fair is also looking for individuals to donate craft items such as handmade jewelry, Christmas ornaments, toys and home decorations.

You may bring your donated craft to the Sacred Heart church office beginning Oct. 1.

In addition, they are planning for a White Elephant/rummage booth, sale of food and baked goods including decorated animal cookies, children's games and harvest items for the fall season. All of this will take many hands to make happen. If you can help, please contact your parish life coordinator to start planning a booth for your church. Be sure to have your parish representative let the Heifer Fair know what you are planning by e-mailing

CGraceandpeace@aol.com.

Special thanks to Dawn Corriveau for sharing the news with us about this wonderful community effort.

Have a great week and please send me your good news. Remember, God loves you so much.

“Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals.”

- J. Isham

Denise Bennett is a parishioner at Holy Family Church in Auburn. She can be reached at deniseb132@yahoo.com

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