The Children’s Home Society invites the public to join them for their 4th Annual Gwen Clingman’s “Saturday Supper” on Saturday, Apr. 22, from 4-7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Fairlea, located at 219 Seneca Trail.
Proceeds from the dinner support the Society’s community capital campaign that continues to raise funds for the costs associated with the purchase and renovation of the Greenbrier Valley Children’s Home, a 14-bed emergency child shelter located in Rupert.
If you were fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of eating at Clingman’s, you won’t want to miss this event. Children’s Home Society promises guests that “Clingman experience,” where you will enjoy many of the same foods that Clingman prepared from her small kitchen in downtown Lewisburg for so many years… Harvard beets, brown beans, cooked cabbage, stewed tomatoes, baked turkey and much more. A variety of homemade desserts will also be offered.
For those who remember Clingman, you’ll recall that she loved to cook, but that was not her only talent, as throughout her life she was a teacher, loved playing the drums and was a marvelous dancer. Her greatest gift, however, was her ability to care for those who always seemed to need it most. Clingman not only filled people’s empty stomachs, but in her quiet and unassuming way, she also fed the souls of many from our communities. And it is with that in mind that this event was conceived, as a way to not only honor Clingman’s accomplishments and memory, but also to remind us of her way of life, her desire to “pay it forward” by sharing the milk of human kindness with those who were down on their luck or found themselves in a desperate situation through no fault of their own, much like the children who live at the Greenbrier Valley Children’s Home.
These children are from our community, surrounding counties and across the state, and unable to live with their own families for a multitude of reasons, most often because of abuse and/or neglect. The Gwen Clingman “Saturday Supper” provides folks with the chance to take a page from Clingman’s book of life and be of service to others, and allows the community the opportunity to honor the generosity of one through the generosity of many.
Tickets for the dinner are $15 and may be purchased in advance at the Greenbrier Valley Children’s Home in Rupert or at the Children’s Home Society office at 9579 Seneca Trail South in Fairlea. Sponsorships are available for $100 (10 tickets) and to go orders may be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets or a sponsorship for the event or for more information, call the Children’s Home Society office at 304-647-3430.
